Sins of a Self Insert
by re-vengeance0
Summary: A self insert that tells about the dangers of bandits, fanfiction clichés, and Creative Writing courses. Events are changing, plots are shifting, and not for the better. The worst part? No reset function!
1. Chapter 1- Awakened

First thing's first: I do not own Fire Emblem, Metroid Prime, or any series mentioned in this work of fiction.

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Chapter 1

Awakened

God, why did I decide to take creative writing? I'm usually pretty creative for stories, and I'm confident in my writing, but I'm suffering a massive case of writer's block. I sat at my desk, a lamp illuminating the wordless page. It was mocking me. _That's it! I'll write a FanFiction! _My mind immediately scanned for any games I could use. Before I could settle between any choices, I started to doze off. My head immediately slammed onto the table, and I was out like a light.

… And I'm back up! I looked around slowly. My forehead was throbbing and I think I might have dain bramage… ugh… brain damage… nevermind. Something struck me as… odd. I wasn't in my room; I was in a quaint, homey village that wouldn't look out of place in the 'ye olde medieval' era. In my hand wasn't a sorely underused pencil; there was a small, 2 footish long sword in it's sheathe. Also, my clothes were completely different. I was in a dark red tunic with equally dark grey/black baggy pants. Somewhat stylish, thematically speaking.

"Hey, we's gots anotha live one over here, boss!" Sweet lord, whoever that was, his grammar was atrocious. I looked up in the direction of the poorly educated speaker. The man was slightly overweight, wore an animal skin on his back, and had war paint all over him. He also carried an axe about the size of my head. Before I could even ask what the hell he's doing, the asshat ran at me with his ginormous axe. Due to his lack of skill and massive wind-up, it was an easy attack to dodge. I unsheathed my shortsword and prepared to fight. Thankfully, missing his mark only made the man even angrier and even less accurate. I'm pretty sure sport fencing isn't the best method of fighting… oh well! Might as well try it. I advance forward and jab him in the shoulder. He recoils back into a tree. A quick slash across the chest and he falls limply onto the floor. Blood spurted out, and some landed on my face. I gagged and tripped back, promptly falling on my head. One of the asshat's asshat friends walked up to me, brandishing a similarly large axe. Without a word, he raised his axe, ready to cut my head off. That is, if he wasn't interrupted by being impaled. A silver and gold blade protruded from where his heart was supposed to be. When the blade pulled out, more blood splattered on my precious face.

"Jeez! Argh, that's disgusting!" What? That's the only thing I could say after getting splattered with blood twice, after nearly getting killed twice, all in less than a half an hour. A new record. I got up, using my bloody sword as a crutch to help me. I then wiped the blood off my face.

"You alright? What's your name?" The man's voice sounded familiar. Is he… oh for crying out loud. Blue hair, an asymmetrical shirt with only one sleeve and shoulder pads, golden sword at his side; I was speaking to none other than Prince Chrom. I'm in the Fire Emblem Awakening universe. I'm really speechless on how I got here, but maybe the Self Insert gods will explain that later.

"Your… name? What is it?" He stared at me, perplexed. Before I could even speak, another voice interrupted from behind.

"Milord, please tell me we did not just find another amnesiac traveler today." I looked behind the blue-haired prince and saw an armored knight, lance still bloodied from combat. It was Chrom's loyal and unwaveing right hand man, Frederick. I decided that, if this was some alternate universe, there's no need to use my real name. Not like they know any better.

"The name's Trace, a pleasure." Trace is the name of my most recent Avatar, who is named after a character from Metroid Prime. "I'm guessing you're Chrom?" Oh no, why did I just say that?

"So, you already know me?" Think, man, think! I need a good lie, one believable enough for a prince.

"One of my… attackers… said your name. Thanks for the help back there, by the way." Hopefully Chrom won't recognize my terrible lying skills. Chrom turned over to Fredwardson. Yes, I plan to pester old Freddo with plenty of names.

"Well, if we're letting Robin join us, Trace could be of use as well." He turned over to me. "The Shepherds could really use more members, especially able swordsmen." He turned back to me. "You seem competent. Would you join us?"

"If you're content with taking people up off the street, sure. I'll do it." I was kind of upset that he called me 'competent'. Chrom, without Freddy boy, you'd be worthless at this low level. I dare you, just try and finish the prologue alone without dying on Lunatic... argh...

"Milord, are you sure this is a good idea?" There goes Freddy, paranoia and all.

"It's alright. He's clearly not with these bandits, and he seems trustworthy." Wow. I can finally understand why everyone's afraid of Chrom being backstabbed. He is way too trusting, especially to strange travelers he finds on the road. A new voice interrupted us.

"Well, the rest of the bandits have been dealt with. We should start heading out." I looked towards the new voice. It was Robin, with his dark grey and purple Grimleal jacket and his whitish blonde hair. His bronze sword was sheathed at his side, and he held his yellow Thunder tome close to his chest.

"I agree with fashion sense over here." To be honest, that tactician jacket looks very gaudy, especially on a man. Maybe it's the eyes. Yeah, definitely the eye markings on the arms. "How far until we get back home?" My adrenaline from fighting the asshats back in Southtown has officially worn out, and I feel like crap. I haven't had anything to drink recently, either, so I'll make sure to pester my new-found friends about that.

"It's about a day or so to walk to Ylisstol. We'll camp overnight when it gets too dark." Chrom motioned his hand over towards one of the trails, and started walking. "Oh, almost forgot. Trace, this is my little sister, Lissa. And this," He looks over at the blue knight, "Is Frederick."

"Well, introducing ourselves isn't going to make us travel any faster. Let's go." Ugh, not even a day in this world and I'm already getting rowdy and impatient. Well, maybe the Risen won't show up in this timeline and I can have a nice, relaxing walk to Ylisstol. Something tells me the Self Insert gods have something else planned.

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Many years later, Location Unknown

Two figures, a knight and a girl in robes, stood in front of a young woman. Behind them was a glowing gate, swirling and beaming with energy.

"Can I trust you two to lead them?" The armored knight on the left, barely 16 years old, snapped a sharp salute.

"Yes, ma'am. We'll hold them off. You just… do what you need to do. Stay safe." The girl on the right, in robes too large for her, pulled out a blue colored face mask; once specifically made so that one can see out of them, but others cannot see the wearer's eyes. The young girl spoke out.

"Once we secure the capital, we'll send a few out to help you. Just… just make sure you do your best out there, L." The woman in front of them chuckled, putting on the mask. The blue mask matched her blue outfit and blue flowing hair.

"I'll be back before you know it. I trust you two with this job. Keep the city safe and secure." Without another word, the woman turned around and walked into the gate.

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"Current" Time, Western Ylisse

"Trace! TRACE! WAKE UP! WAKE UP FOR NAGA'S SAKE! OPEN YOUR EYES!"

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**Author's Note**

**ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED- FIRST FANFIC. EVER.**

**Well, anyway, here is the first chapter in what I plan to be an ongoing self-insert. This will probably go up to the end of the game, but may progress past that if I have any burning ideas. Reviews and comments are encouraged. The next chapter will be up soon, mostly considering I am an extremely fast writer (Just like everything else I do, I am very gung-ho and fast working). In terms of length, expect each chapter to last around 1,500+ words (about the length of this chapter), unless the events start to get meaty. Expect the second chapter to get to around part 3 of the game (the Northroad).**

**Until then, goodbye, and may the Self-Insert gods watch over you.**

**P.S.- I honestly couldn't think of a good name for this fanfic, so I'll probably keep the title, which parodies one of my favorite RTS games.**

**Leave shipping requests in the reviews if you're really so inclined. I'll take them into consideration, but most pairings will be from my playthrough.**


	2. Chapter 2- Undead Rising

**Well, here's chapter two. Again, I do not own Fire Emblem or any series referenced in this work of fiction.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 2

Undead Rising

"Current" Time, Western Ylisse

"Trace! TRACE! WAKE UP! WAKE UP FOR NAGA'S SAKE! OPEN YOUR EYES!" Alright, alright, annoying voice, I'm up. What's so damn impor… oh. The forest is on fire. As I look around, I see that the scared, nagging voice that woke me was Robin's. He clutched his tome tightly to his chest, his eyes darting around.

"What happened? Did you set the forest on fire with your lightning magic or something?" Maybe some light humor will diffuse the tension… nope. Robin glared at me, clearly angry.

"When I woke up, Chrom wasn't there, and Frederick dashed off to try and find him. It's just us right now." Robin quickly overcame his fear and anger, and gained control of the situation. I'm honestly quite impressed. No way in hell I'd calm so quickly. It promptly dawned on me that there was no chance we'd find Chrom. A thick smoke engulfed the entire forest, burning embers rained down from the sky, and it was still nighttime. The only light came from the burning leaves and trees. Oh, and the giant glowing circles slowly swirling in the sky. Wait, what?

"Gods, what are those?" Dozens, possibly hundreds, of these glowing gates hung in the sky, going as far as the eye can see. That's when people started falling out of them. Three bodies plopped out of the gate nearest to us. Two of them carried axes, while the lead in the middle brandished a longsword. Hold up a second, those aren't people. People don't have skin that's as gray as the ash that hung in the air right now. People don't have eyes that literally glow red. People don't breathe a dark black gas. People don't randomly jump out of large glowing gates in the sky. People don't take large axes and start running at the first real person they see…

Risen. Running at me. Well, running at me and Robin. I quickly draw my sword, and Robin flips open his tome. With a quick chant, he directs a bright yellow ball at one of the charging creatures. It takes the hit dead center, and falls back. That leaves two to fight and OWGODWHATTHEHELL!

The Risen swordsman had already slashed at my shoulder. Thankfully, it was my left shoulder. I can still fight with my ARGHAREYOUKIDDINGME- the swordsman cut across my chest. Without any cuirass or vest to protect me (gotta go all pro, no armor) the cut went in deep. Of course, I didn't plan on dropping my sword and clutching at my bleeding gut, but hey, I didn't plan on fighting ash faced freaks. The Risen swordsman actually pulled his attention away from the wounded, stumbling swordsman with no weapon, and instead went towards Robin, who was already pre-occupied with fighting the second axe-wielder. With a horizontal swing, Robin decapitated the axe wielding Risen, and it disappeared into a dark grey cloud. Laying on a rock, I slowly succumbed to the blood loss and began to drift off. The last thing I saw was Robin stabbing the third swordsman in the neck with a lance. Wait a minute… Robin doesn't use a… lance…

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I was aroused from my blood loss-induced nap by voices. It was difficult to tell who was saying what, but I could tell what they were saying.

"He'll live, but he may be out until we get back home." I think that was Robin's voice. By the time they said that, I started to gain consciousness. I realized I was still laying on 'my' rock (if profusely bleeding on something gives you ownership over it). While no one was looking, I quickly stretched and got up.

"Who'll live? Did Robin die while I wasn't looking?" Lissa jumped up, startled but not really scared. When she saw me perk up, she sighed of relief. That changed when someone knocked my head forward.

"For the record, it was you that almost died while I wasn't looking." Robin stooped down and planted my shortsword next to my feet.

"Might not want to drop that next time, or fashion sense might have to kill you himself." Ignoring his third person comment, I picked up my sword, and tried to get u- YOWCH! Sonofa- The cuts were gone, and most of the pain was too, but it still hurt like a real beach when you try and move. Could be worse, I guess. That Risen probably could've cut me in half. Or finish me off instead of running away to kill Robin. Once I actually acquired the strength to stand up, I noticed two new people at what once was our campsite. Sully and Virion, I presume.

"Can we go home now? I'm tired of sleeping on rocks." My gut hurt with each step, but I was over-eager to just go. If my body is feeling like it's about to split open, I'd rather have it do so in a comfortable building, rather than in the middle of a forest. That's still kind of burning. And possibly still be filled with undead freaks. Ah, nature, I love you. Hold up, I missed "Marth". Argh, better not pass out and miss any other important story segments.

By the time we reached Ylisstol, it was already daytime. Robin was complaining that he was too tired. He wouldn't stop talking about the fact that his legs felt "like pudding". Ylisstol wasn't nearly as large or populated as any modern city, but it was still expansive. And then there was Emmeryn. That couldn't be mistaken, with the large Mark on her forehead. It literally says, "I'm important" on her forehead.

"_Prince_ Chrom! Uh- forgive my dreadful manners, your sireliness." Yes, Robin just said 'sireliness'. Maybe he'll turn into Donnel. I looked behind me and saw Robin, who has just found out Chrom's true title.

"What, Robin? Didn't you notice that Fred called him _Milord_ multiple times?" Robin glared at me.

"Well, it looks like Emm is returning to the palace now. Would you like to see her?"

Emmeryn has to be the sweetest person on the entire planet. How could someone so nice be in a position of power, ruling over a kingdom? I wouldn't think a politician such as her could even exist. I don't even know if this entire world exists!

"Trace and Robin assisted us in fighting the brigands terrorizing our people, and helped fight off the new threat we encountered in the woods. I've decided to make them Shepherds." Yeah Chrom, we were _competent_ at dealing with those threats. Oh, no time for grudges, Emmeryn is speaking. Despite her calm, serene, soft voice, the whole room seems to stop and pay attention to her when she speaks.

"Well, Trace and Robin, it sounds like Ylisse owes you a great debt." God, while I would be anxious in front of a leader with so much power, her mere presence calms me.

"Not at all, Milady." Good job, Robin; you didn't have any Donnel-esque titles to call her.

"Just doing what is right, Milady." Just because he held off on the titles doesn't mean I can't 1-up what he says. Before I could add anything, I could feel Lissa tugging on my sleeve. Then I just realized something. I was wearing a bloody, battered, and badly cut tunic right in front of Ylisse's leader. What an excellent first impression. Back to reality, as Lissa is literally slowly dragging me across the floor in an attempt to pull my sleeve. My dirty, bloody, cut sleeve.

"C'mon, there's a place I need to show you. Chrom's going to a council meeting right now." Giving in to Lissa's sleeve pulling, I followed her. And we ended up in the Shepherd's garrison. Vaike and Sumia were conversing in the main room, and I swear I caught a glimpse of ninja-Kellam when I first walked in, but I can't see him now. Ok, stop zoning out in your vain attempt to find Kellam in his super stealthy shiny armor. People are talking.

"Well, nobody's stranger than you, Vaike, but this is Robin. Chrom's made him our new tactician. And this is Trace, our newest swordsman. Don't ask about the blood." Lissa didn't even give us a pause to introduce ourselves. And it still feels awesome to make first impressions with a bloody shirt. Well, Vaike doesn't even wear a shirt, so I guess I'm doing a decent job. And, Vaike is burping now. He's really getting rid of my anxiety in meeting all these new people. I must be doing a better job of looking decent than he is, right? Looking decent towards anyone of stature, that is. Speaking of stature, here comes Maribelle, and… she's asking about the blood.

"What kind of buffoon walks around with a blood stained shirt in front of a noble? Did you talk to the Exalt in those clothes? By the gods, show some respect to the nobility around you!" Her words slowly devolved into a mess pile of anger and stuck-up pride, and she just walked away, mumbling to herself.

"Didn't Lissa just say not to ask about the blood?" I was somewhat embarrassed by the fact that I just caused Maribelle's education to devolve into noble blabber, I realized I was talking to Maribelle. What did I expect?

"Don't take it to heart, Trace. Maribelle warms to people slowly. I'm Sumia, and this is Vaike. Kellam should be around here somewhere. Well, I'll show you two to your rooms, follow me." I was about to thank Sumia for her kindness in that statement, but she already fell on the floor.

"Sumia, are you alright?" Robin was the only one that seemed legitimately concerned for her. Maybe this will blossom out into love. Heh, AvatarXSumia was my first ever pairing.

"Uh, no- I mean, yes. I mean… sigh. Just follow me." Robin's room was first. Lucky bastard. While I didn't vocalize it as badly as he did, my legs felt just as bad as his, if not worse. When we came up to my room, I noticed it was very large. Mostly because it held the beds for _three other people, not including me._

"Uh, who else sleeps here?" I am NOT ready to sleep in a medieval room, let alone with three others.

"Hmm, let's see. Ricken, Kellam, and Frederick sleep here." Oh that's great. A slumber party every night with a kid, who I plan to pester about his height (You get to do that when you're over six feet tall), a small man in a large suit of armor nobody knows is there, and the man I plan to pester about his name. The Self-Insert gods really have it in for me, don't they?

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Many years later, Ylisstol

"You do think she'll be fine out there alone, right?" The knight, despite his steel axe, steel armor, and steel pride, couldn't help but worry about her.

"You need to stop worrying, M. Fretting won't get you anywhere. I can tell Lucy's going to be just fine." Another voice rang out in the room.

"And how would you know? Gods, how do you think _we'll_ be fine here, without her?"

"All we need to do is hold out, and maybe send a few into the portals with her. That's all." The knight decided to interrupt before the two started to bicker. Of course, that's when an Ylissean soldier walked in.

"You three! Our scouts found a Risen force moving in from the south. If you could stall them, our forces could rally together while they're busy." It's weird that the Risen moved out this quickly, compared to the time Lucina left into the portal. A simple stalling mission would be fine, especially for the new Shepherds.

"Alright, let's go see Morgan and get a plan down."

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"Current" time, Shepherd's garrison

"Excuse me, Trace?" Oh, I recognize that voice. Especially since no one is up at four in the morning.

"Huh, Frederick? It's still dark out? Why are you waking me?" I'm too tired right now to call him names.

"Well, first, you missed milord's message yesterday. He is planning to march north to Regna Ferox. Your equipment, fresh from the armory, is in a box on your desk. Also, I got more clothing for you, since yours was ripped, and you appear to have no spares. There are multiple in your closet, available in six colors to suit your liking. Also, there is some vulnerary on your desk next to your supplies. It will help with the pain while you recover. Milord does plan for you to come along on the trip." Well, I have experienced firsthand his unwavering zeal and work ethic. I probably couldn't get all that done in a week.

"Oh. Thanks, Freddy. I'll be sure to… uh… thanks." Honestly, I was surprised by how much work he did literally overnight.

Later that morning, in about two hours, I got up. Thankfully, this wasn't one of those days where my body decided to sleep in, and instead decided to wake up early. Frederick the overzealous housemaid was out, probably still working. Kellam was sleeping (it's really weird to see him out of his armor), and Ricken was still sleeping, too. His mage's hat hung on one side of his bed, and his elwind tome was on his desk. I never really got the chance to before, so I decided to look at how I look. Thankfully, there's a good mirror in this room. After drinking my vulnerary, which tasted like almond milk and not in a good way, I looked in the mirror. I was still me. I still had dark brown hair, about Owain's length, and dark brown eyes of the same color. Almost forgot, I need new clothes. Don't want to go out marching with Chrom in my 'smallclothes'. I open up my personal closet, which is fairly small, and see that Fred didn't lie. He had copies of my tunic in six different colors. So, I decided to go with red. He failed to provide pants, however, so I had to wear my old ones. Thankfully, those weren't that bloody or cut. In the box on my desk, there was a small sack with extra vulnerary and some gold coins- my first payment? Also inside was a small chainmail vest which I wore under my shirt. There was also a standard looking metal cuirass, without sleeves. I slipped it on over my red tunic. Something tells me the 'all pro, no armor' combat style won't suit me very well. It wasn't very heavy, but now I doubt its protection. It seems… too light. In the box were also two daggers and a canteen. The last piece of equipment was wrapped up. It was a new shortsword, still only two feet or so in length. I slipped it into its new sheathe and walked out. Better get some grub before the Shepherds move out. Maybe I'll tell Stahl about the trip so he can eat before we go.

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**Author's Note**

**I decided to forgo the battle scene at the Northroads, which will be in the next chapter, and instead decided to settle down and get the Shepherd's garrison ready. This chapter turned out a lot larger than I first expected. Anyway, don't expect me to pass out and miss any other important story parts; this Myrmidon isn't planning on dying yet. The next chapter will contain more action; both in the "present" and the "future".**

**Also, I have not fully set down the shipping pairs in stone yet- but I still have some basic ideas.**

**May the Self Insert gods treat you well.**


	3. Chapter 3- Ethereal Voices

**Again, I do not own Fire Emblem or any series mentioned in this work of fiction.**

**Prepare yourself- some weapons grade Self-Insert clichés are coming up.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 3

Ethereal Voices

Gods, do the Shepherds have anything good to drink? I'm parched. The only non-alcoholic beverage here is water- and I don't plan on getting drunk any time soon. Well, there's tea, but Maribelle's hanging around there. She'll probably rip me a new one if I even get close. So, it's water for me. Maybe I should tell Stahl about the trip. Nah, Vaike will probably handle that… right? Speaking of Stahl, I think that's him running right by me… wait, what?

"Where are you going?" Stahl only glanced back at me, and kept on running.

"Chrom's starting his march to Ferox. Are you coming?" Yes, of course I'm coming. Fredzilla came and woke me up early to tell me.

"Yeah, lead the way." I realized why Maribelle was still hanging around in the garrison; she wasn't coming along. The plot needs her for later.

"Chrom! Wait for us!" Long distance sprinting; my only weakness, especially with my armor. Light as it is, it still doesn't breathe well. Stahl got on his horse, but I had to hoof it (pun intended, I regret nothing). Once I got on the convoy, I was panting like there was no tomorrow. Robin stared at me while I gulped down my entire canteen, and Vaike failed to suppress a laugh. It was when Chrom came up to our carriage in the convoy that Vaike finally gained his composure and stopped.

"Oh, Trace, I didn't realize you were coming. The cavalier that came with you, green armor, was Stahl, one of our finest." That's when Sully came over to our carriage. The entire convoy stopped.

"Captain Chrom, scouts found something up ahead. You'll wanna see this." Being the uber-loyal, unwavering soldier (not), I follow Chrom out ahead.

"Gods, have the Risen spread this far? Get the rest of the Shepherds ready." Alright, swords out, moving in. The Risen seem to have not noticed us yet. Or they don't care. Robin quickly went over our plan. We would use Sully, Stahl, and Frederick as cavalry to separate part of the Risen force from the rest, and have Robin and Virion use ranged magic and bows to weaken the isolated force before the rest of the group would move in to attack at melee range. Fairly simple. When Robin shot up a small Thunder spell into the air, it was time for business. The first Risen to rush me was a soldier, wielding a lance. The arrow he took to the chest didn't seem to faze him, but the sword cut through his head seemed to do the trick. First kill of the day! Dodge the axeman, cut to his arm. An arrow goes through his (it's?) head. Another axeman rushed me, try to parry and CRACK!

An axe to the chest and I'm on the ground. Thankfully, with steel, cloth, and chainmail underneath, I actually wasn't hurt. Less could be said for my weapon. My brand new shortsword broke into four or five pieces after trying to parry that axe. Even glass swords last longer than that- and you would think Fredissimo would pick out a weapon of high quality. No time for zoning out- I don't want to end up bleeding and dying again. I'm back up on my feet with a quick jump, and then I remembered. I slipped out one of my handy-dandy daggers and shanked the Risen axeman. He slowly disappeared into thin air, and my dagger slipped out without any resistance.

"Trace, catch!" Huh, who said that? Oh, Robin. He has an iron sword in his hands. Of course, instead of just walking up and giving it to me, he throws the dangerous pointy blade. I tried to catch it, and fumbled. It clattered and clanked as it hit the ground. What? I'm still getting used to the whole badass lifestyle. _Note to self- learn how to catch weapons when thrown at you, and learn to test weapons before heading out. _Before long, most of the Risen were vanquished. A rowdy Risen mercenary managed to cut my arm, but thankfully, I didn't drop my sword this time. A quick fixer-upper from Lissa's staff was all I needed. It might have been a combination of her staff and vulnerary, but I was feeling great. I hardly felt any pain anymore from my old wounds. This was good; if I was going to go into that arena in Ferox, I needed to be in tip-top shape.

"Everyone back on the convoy- we need to be wide awake and well rested once we get to Regna Ferox." Finally, a military order I have zero problems following. A thousand thanks to you, Chrom- no other military commander would ever give the order for his men to sit around lazily. Ooh, this carriage looks comfortable. Ah, yes, it carries the camping tents. All I need to do is lie down… put my head back… and… oh yes that feels nice… so comfortable…

* * *

_You know, for someone accepting the name of a hunter, you aren't very… "badass", as you say._

Huh? Where am I? The voice I hear is audible enough that I can understand, but I can't tell whose voice it is.

_You're in a dream._

Oh, I get it. I know the drill; you're some ethereal voice, probably from the future, and you're going to tell me how I "fit into some big, overall chain of events". You will tell me all about how I fit into the destiny of not just the game, but my entire lifetime. That about right?

…_You're no fun, are you?_

Sorry, disembodied voice. Been there, seen this, done that. You are extremely cliché.

_It's alright. It's not like you NEED to know what I know. You'll understand in a few years. Also, it's almost time to wakey-wakey. Your convoy is about to reach Regna Ferox. Toodle-loo!_

* * *

I woke up with a rushed gasp of air. That bastard voice dropped me out of my dream and immediately woke me up. I instantly noticed that I was freezing; all I wore were short sleeves and a frigid metal vest. My body shook and shivered, my teeth clattered, and my skin formed Goosebumps. The morning sun was just beginning to rise; the cold, wintry Russia-esque winds of Regna Ferox ran wild across the tundra. Of course, it was my incessant shivering that woke Lissa, who was apparently sleeping here, up.

"Ugh… Trace, can you stop… *yaaaaawnnnnn* shivering?" While I definitely prefer being cold to being overly hot, I'd really appreciate a jacket.

"Uh, sorrrr-y, Lissa. I just need a coverrrrr." Ugh, my shivering is drawing out my R's like no tomorrow. Speaking about tomorrow, I really need to get some sleep. I don't want to doze off in front of Marth in the arena. I reached under one of the tarps and pulled out a thick winter sheet. Covering my frigid body, I closed my eyes and slept.

Of course, I slept until Freddy came to wake me up. Gods, I can't sleep in this world without people, whether they are overzealous servants or disembodied hallucination- er, dream- voices, waking me up all the time.

"Trace, the Feroxi border guard is mobilizing. Loathe as I am to trust him, Robin has told me that you should come along." Y'know, I can understand xenophobia, but I never really understood why Regna Ferox became hostile in the game at this point- even if there was a chance that we were bandits, was it worth it if there was a better chance you were killing Ylissean royalty? Alright, no time for exposing questionable plot; it's time for action. My new sword drew out of its sheathe with a satisfying noise, and I double checked to make sure my two daggers were still in their respective pockets.

The Feroxi force was mostly made up of basic soldiers. Despite having the weapon-wheel disadvantage, I managed to defeat them fairly easily. One of their lances managed to pierce my vest, which was already weakened by the previous battle, and drew blood. Of course, the soldier probably thought that hit would stun me or make me recoil- but it didn't, thankfully. With a quick slice, my sword instantly cut through his throat. A gruesome, instant kill. I tried not to think about his family as blood seeped through his cut. Of course, my willpower failed, and I started thinking about everyone I've killed so far. I have no problem in fighting Risen; people are a different story. I slid my sword back into its sheathe as Lissa's staff went to work. Before long, my stab wound was gone. It still hurt, but the wound closed. The last challenge laid ahead of us; the Feroxi guard captain. Her knight's armor would be impervious to my sword; especially with my mediocre myrmidon strength growths (to put it in perspective, Lon'qu's strength growth is 55% chance. Mine is probably lower). With all manner of physical attacks failing, Robin decided to simply pelt the knight from a distance with magic. She gave up once she realized there was no chance she was fighting simple brigands. Of course, she noticed it too late and all of her border guard team, save her, was dead.

Leading us inside, the knight showed us to our rooms that we would have while we stayed. As a secondary character in this story, I had to stay in my room while Chrom, Frederick, and Robin went out to meet with the Khan. Damn you plot-important characters. There were two beds in the stone-walled room I was issued. However, no one came to take it. With little else to do besides shiver, I might as well go to bed.

* * *

Of course, someone ALWAYS needs to wake me up early, and Fredward seems to enjoy doing so. Maybe he's reading this self insert and he's getting back at me for the names.

"Ah, Trace, I was wondering who I was assigned with. Milord wants to talk with you at your most appropriate time." Are you kidding me? The one chance I get to sleep alone and I get paired up with Fred. Well, if Chrom needs me, I should go see him. He isn't that hard to find.

"Chrom? Frederick told me that you needed to talk?" Chrom was sitting on the edge of his bed, still in his normal outfit.

"Oh, yes, Trace. First, the Khan said that we need to fight in some arena to earn our soldiers to help Ylisse. I want you to come along." Wow, he trusts my combat skills enough for an arena, one where we 100% must win! I feel honored. Something tells me I've gone a long way since 'competent'.

"Second, Lissa was injured during the fight at the border. I… I think it may be best for her to have a bodyguard." I can see where this is going. Can't he get Lon'qu to do- oh, wait, he hasn't joined us yet.

"While I'm a bit concerned for your attention span, I think you'd be perfect for protecting her in combat. Outside of combat… I'm not so sure." On one hand, LissaXLon'qu is my OTP, but on the other hand… looking after her in combat doesn't seem so bad. No matter who gets shipped with her, me or Le Lon'qu, one thing is for sure; Owain will inherit awesome stats for a myrmidon.

"Sure, Chrom. I can handle protecting her in combat. You might want to find someone better for off-duty protection, though." I have to be honest; I couldn't imagine Chrom's seething anger if I zoned out while Lissa gets pincushioned by arrows. But, in a fight, I can fight with unwavering focus. After nearly getting killed, you can learn to fight a habit pretty quickly.

"Alright, Trace. That sounds good." I nodded and gave a semi-sharp salute. Standing at full height, he was only a small bit taller than me. Chrom's taller than me by about 1-2, maybe 3 inches. Frederick, on the other hand, was a bear, dwarfing me in height. Maybe he's part bear, and he can't eat bear meat out of fear of being accused of cannibalism.

Back in my borrowed Feroxi dorm, there was a steaming bowl of soup on my desk, and a red jacket laying on my bed.

"Oh, Trace, while you were gone, Lissa told me you were shivering while on the convoy. I procured a jacket in what I believe to be your favorite color, as well as some Feroxi soup." Wow, Freddy bear, that's really nice of you.

"Thanks, Fred. Thank Lissa for me." I picked up my spoon and looked at the soup. It was a mellow yellow (gotta love those rhymes) and had no real taste to it. It needed some spices- oh now I'm getting nostalgic. My father, in the real world, was amazing when cooking with spices. He could make any bland soup or meat taste amazing. After the arena, I should check out a local market and get some salts and other spices. I threw on the jacket, and it was hella comfortable. With a fur lining inside, it just felt awesome. I'm not going to wear it to the arena, though- I don't want it to get ruined. As I finished the soup, I slid under the covers and realized, for the first time, that I was getting homesick.

* * *

**Author's Note: Right now, no ships are set in stone yet. However, there will be either TraceXLissa or Lon'quXLissa, and Robin will marry someone only the Avatar can (Say'ri, Anna, etc). Also, Lon'qu will only marry someone who has a ****_son_****. **

**Well, next chapter will be the arena at Regna Ferox.**

**May the self insert gods watch over you with vigor- the clichés won't end just yet.**


	4. Chapter 4- 2 Myrmidons, 2 Bodyguards

**While I hate saying this every chapter, I must reiterate; I do not own Fire Emblem, Red Vs Blue, or any series mentioned.**

**Anyway, the first of several OCs are being added in this chapter, and the shipping of TraceXLissa is starting. But now, we must fight in the Imper- er, Feroxi arena. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 4

2 Myrmidons, 2 Bodyguards

As the five person group walked into the arena preparations room, I gulped and walked in with them. To be honest, I was very apprehensive about this upcoming battle- but mostly just the final engagement with Lu- er- Marth. Marth could easily match my speed- especially if 'he' could beat Lon'qu- and that's about all I have. Speed and luck are probably my highest stats right now. The six fighters in our group were me, Chrom, Frederick, Robin, Sumia, and Lissa. This would be my first battle as her bodyguard. Should be interesting, and as a plus, I always have a healer nearby. The preparations room had the same simplistic stone walls the other Feroxi buildings had. Every building in Regna Ferox blurred into the browns, grays, and tans of the rocks. Robin told us that there was little actual strategy in this fight- there were no elevation advantages, no strategic locations, just a flat, circular arena. The only real test here is sheer military strength, not tactical genius. That aspect of Feroxi culture always bugged me, and it probably bugged Robin, too; there's no finesse here. You can't win wars with just numbers and strength. The iron gate to the arena slid open as the opening to our temporary barracks was blocked off with a similar gate. There's no escape from this arena. I could hear the deafening cheers as we edged closer and closer to the arena. I couldn't help but get nostalgic about Elder Scrolls 4's arena.

"You ready, Lissa? Just stay behind me."

"Mhm." She spritely nodded and readied her staff.

As the gates into the true arena opened, we poured inside. The opposing force was slightly larger- not like it mattered- and, just as the game goes, Mar-Mar was way at the back, in the middle of 'his' group. Chrom was the only one to move up, and the two Lords met each other in the middle. Both of them drew their blades- gods, that sound is so satisfying- and that's when Chrom realized Marth had a Falchion. They immediately had at each other. It was like watching mirror reflections of a single person- each swipe of the sword was expertly blocked by the other. Even when Chrom performed his spinning air attack, which I really wish people could do in reality, Marth blocked it with ease. Eventually, the two blueheads stopped sparring and returned to their respective groups.

"Marth is a capable swordsman, and his men are good, too. We should mind our distance." Yeah, Robin, let's mind our distance when only one of us can fight from range. The first enemies to engage us were a wave of axe fighters; with the weapon wheel on my side, it was easy to dispatch them. When one got too close, I skillfully evaded the heavily winded-up swing and cut his arm. With little more than wood and rock-hard muscle for armor, my blade struck true. After impaling him, and failing to block out the depressing thoughts of taking a family's father, the wave of fighters went away from me and crossed over to my allies. Chrom was riding along with Sumia on her Pegasus, and were swooping in to cut down individual soldiers in hit-and-run attacks. Frederick soaked up attention and punishment while Robin stood behind him, pelting the poorly armored arena fighters with his magic. Realizing how little the first wave did, Marth's two knights advanced forward, both heading straight for me, of course. One knight knocked me away with a swift swing of his shield. I flew in the air and slammed into a stone pillar. I guess this is the end. The knight is closing in, and all I have are two daggers. I could try and run, but -oh man that's nasty! A large lance pierced straight through him, armor and all. As the lance pulled out, blood spurted out like a faucet, and landed on no other place than on my face.

"Are you alright?" Lissa was hunched over me, and not really giving me enough room to get up.

"Yeah, I'm… I'm fine. You?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you. Those knights went straight to you and ignored me!" Well, that's good, at least. Frederick rode over to me, lance still bloodied. He reached out a hand to help me up. While I felt completely capable of getting up on my own, I still accepted his help. Once I got back up on my own two feet, I walked over and picked up my sword. Just like in the game, Marth was standing there, on the opposite side of the arena. Of course, I didn't hear Robin's order to stay put, and blundered straight into Marth's range.

"Let us fight with honor. May the best soldier win!" Before I knew it I couldn't even see Marth- 'he' disappeared behind one of the pillars immediately after his one line. OhthereyouarejesusblockblockBLOCK! I caught Marth in the corner of my eye, turned, and managed to block 'his' stab. Red crackling energy spilled off of 'his' Falchion each second it made contact with my considerably less ornate sword. Quickly disengaging the blade contact, I swung and… missed. The bare tip- I am a foil fencer (uses the tip) after all- manages to rip 'his' shirt but doesn't even cut. That's when Robin jumps at 'him' with his bronze sword. His attack actually connects and, despite Marth's well-timed evasion, Robin's blade cuts 'his' left arm. That gives me enough time to STAB! Hah! My blade went straight into 'his' left shoulder. 'He' recoiled back, giving me time for a double attack (Hah! Rhymes!). Of course that's when 'he' knocked away my sword and swung at me. A bolt of thunder magic slams into Marth's core, and 'he' gets tossed into the wall of the arena.

"Ugh… I am bested…" The fight was over. Good, because I'm tired of having to write about 'him' like this. The crowds in the arena left, Marth quickly got up and ran, and the Khan came to greet us.

"Very nice. You fought well. You have my appreciation, and more importantly, your alliance. Now, we celebrate!" Before we could even say anything, the overjoyed Khan ran off, probably to start preparing for a party. Of course, that's when a giant, muscular, bald, dark-skinned man in gold armor came up behind. Gods, he looks even more like Nick Fury in person than he does in the game, and he looks a helluva lot like him in the game.

"You're pretty handy with a sword boy, especially your red swordsman there. I was sure I had picked the better man!" Did he… did he just say that? Sweetness! My swordsmanship was just complemented by Nick Fur- eh- Khan Basilio.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" It doesn't matter if we met, Chrom. He's already mentioned me, and he didn't even use the phrase 'competent'.

"I'm the Khan you so rudely removed from power. Anyways, I have a present for you." Just after he said that, a certain someone came up from behind him. The newcomer is tall, in a myrmidon uniform, and has that unmistakable grumpy face.

"This is Lon'qu, my former champion. Not much for talking, mind you, but he's peerless with a sword. I honestly can't figure out how Marth bested him so quickly. Consider him West Ferox's contribution. Also, a blizzard started while you were busy stealing my rule. Don't expect to leave for a couple days." So, now, we're stuck in these drab stone buildings until we can leave. Fun times! Soon, the arena is empty, and we're back in our barracks. I was escorting Lissa back to her room. I technically was only supposed to watch her back in combat, but I still feel obligated to make sure she isn't ambushed or something while we're winding down. When we reached her room's door, I finally let go of the grip of my sword.

"Are you sure you're alright, Trace?"

"Yeah, surprised that knight didn't break my back."

"Oh, of course you're alright. You're only bleeding!" Wait, what? Oh. My vest was cut and stained red. Marth must've grazed me after knocking away my sword.

"I'll be fine. I'll just… get some vulnerary. Don't get assassinated while I'm gone." After a notable while of walking through featureless stone hallways, I get to my room. I slip off my vest and laid it on my desk. In my bag, I remembered, was a vulnerary. Gulping it down, and using some to clean the cut, I slipped on my new red jacket. Good thing I didn't wear it to the fight- this is a great jacket and I don't want to ruin it. It wasn't that late out- not like I could tell; the windows were nearly solid white with frost and snow- so I decided not to sleep just yet. Instead, I perused the solitary bookshelf in this room- I'm honestly impressed this room even has one- and pulled out a book. _Ribald Tales of the Faith War._ Lighting the candle at my desk, I zoned out of real life and focused on the book. Now, if there is only one real talent I can claim to have, it's the ability to completely zone out and concentrate on a story. Imagine it. Picture it. _Live_ it. Well, not that deep. If I wanted to go that deep, I'd need a Multipass. While it definitely makes the story far more enjoyable, it does leave me… vulnerable… from the outside world.

"Trace, there's someone outside, waiting for you."

"GAH! FUCK! Oh… oh… it's you, Frederick. Sorry, I was concentrating on the story. What was that?"

"There's someone waiting for you in the hallway." I open the door, and it's Lissa. She's carrying a small bundle of vulneraries. She energetically pushes them into my chest.

"Thanks, Lissa. I had a vulnerary with me, and this is a bit… much, but it will help." To be honest, she gave me six… seven… no, eight bottles of this medicine. I dumped it all on my desk and let out a massive sigh.

"Is something wrong, Trace?" I didn't close my door, and Lissa was still there.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just getting tired." Playing along with the terrible lie- I'm fully aware that people yawn, not sigh, when tired- I flopped onto the bed. Pulling up the thick covers, I was actually somewhat excited to see if that voice was going to be in my dreams again.

* * *

Many years later, Northern Ylisse

Maine pulled his horse to a halt. The day was getting hot, even for northern Ylisse, and he was no fan of it. He jumped- borderline falling- off his armored horse. Aside from Kjelle, the other main knight in the shepherds, he was easily the worst rider. He wanted to learn, and he actually was great at using his axe on a mount, but his ideas and orders just didn't mesh with his horse. When he tried to do the advanced maneuvers necessary for the upcoming battles, the horse simply didn't follow his orders. The knight and his horse lacked the bonds the other riders had. Being a good rider was important now; the new tactics the shepherds used relied on speed and mobility to make up for a hopelessly outnumbered force. He was a better rider than Kjelle, but her riding (and cooking) skills fell off the terrible spectrum and landed in an area no one has seen or returned from. Dropping his axe on the weapon rack, he slowly undid the seals on his armor. The oversized shoulder plate slipped off and clanked as it hit the ground. Rolling down his neck guard, Maine scratched at his neck. Leading his horse to his makeshift stable, Maine felt certain uneasiness. Maybe it was because Ylisstol has fallen, the exalt ran off in some portal, and now the new shepherds are on the run for their lives, only making camps like these every once in a while for rest and resource gathering. The next heir to the throne wasn't going to receive the title of Exalt yet, though. Mostly because putting a title on someone, especially one who fights in the front lines would make that person a target.

"Hey, Maine. Still trying to learn how to mount that horse?" Inigo. Maine didn't hate him, not as much as blistering heat anyways, but Inigo isn't exactly the best person to be around in certain company. Everyone knew how bad of a rider Maine was, and Inigo always liked to rub it in; he was one of the best mounted archers in the group.

"Yeah, Inigo. Still trying to learn how to mount women?" Maine let out a Severa-esque smirk, and Inigo's face turned a deep red. Maine got just enough wittiness from his father for it to be useful.

"Hey! What… you… rgh!" Inigo stomped off, muttering to himself. '_Not like you get any girls anyway_' was the only thing Maine could hear Inigo grumble. Maine let out a whole-hearted laugh.

"Ha! Shameless flirt my ass." Placing his armor in his personal crate, Maine went across the field and looked for where the mess hall was. The setup of tents was completely random- with these camps only lasting a week or so, there's little time for organization and neatness.

"Gods, I need a drink. Something cold, too."

* * *

"Current" Time, Regna Ferox

When I finally woke up- my body randomly switches from sleeping in late to getting up extra early- I realized the voice didn't visit me. Frederick wasn't in my room. He left more mellow soup on my desk and was probably out doing every chore there is for Chrom. The soup had no little taste, but had warmth to it. Kind of like Robin's carrot stew- read Robin and Panne's supports. A knock at my door drew my attention from the mellow yellow. In the hallway was Lissa.

"Hey, Lissa. Are you going to give me more vulneraries?"

"No, please don't tell me you drank ALL those. I'm just stopping by to say that Chrom ordered Lon'qu to be my bodyguard for off-duty. But I still want you around, in combat and out." Hmm, Lissa is getting spoiled with two myrmidon bodyguards.

"No, I didn't drink all the vulnerary. But why do you still want me?" I could tell Lon'qu is a better bodyguard for off-duty.

"Well, I don't really trust him. He just joined us yesterday! And he hates women; he gets all frozen when I get even near him."

"Alright, I'll still stick with you. Not like I have anything better to do. Seriously, all I have are some books and Frederick's Feroxi soup. And, what exactly does Lon'qu do if you get close?" I already knew what he does, but this was just setup.

"He locks up with this frozen face and runs away, or tries really hard to yell at you, but his voice cracks. *snort* It's hilarious."

"Well, if Lon'qu does an extra special job of protecting you one day, make sure to repay him with a nice, tight hug." Yeah, I'm definitely still guarding Lissa, because I REALLY want to see that happen.

"Alright, let's go find your new bodyguard. And a drink, too; I'm always thirsty."

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Yes, Maine is my son from the future. And, yes, he is named after one of Red Vs Blue's antagonists. Why? Because he's awesome like that. His current starting class is the Axe Knight- just a normal knight who uses axes (You don't say?), but is trying to reclass to Great Knight.**

**In terms of shipping, TraceXLissa will happen, and I'm shifting towards either ChromXSumia or ChromXOlivia. I'm mostly going for the latter, because I want Chrom to have a son, and I am trying out GaiusXSumia in the game.**

**Also, in terms of parody, I was planning on adding more Self Insert clichés, but the only real cliché that is bugging me is the dreaded "Mary Sue", which I DO NOT plan on writing. It's just not fun to write.**

**Anyway, may the self insert gods make you safe and secure.**


	5. Chapter 5- A New Revelation

**Sorry for removing this at first, forgot a proofread.**

**Anyway, this is the first chapter I've written so far that doesn't actually take place in one of the game's story segments. This is a somewhat fluffy, dialogue heavy chapter.**

**Enjoy!  
**

* * *

Chapter 5

A New Revelation

It was another week in Regna Ferox. Apparently, blizzards can last that long. Nothing really happened. Lon'qu and I both guarded Lissa, but there was nothing. Not even zealous assassins would want to run around in this weather. Not even overzealous housemaids would want to run around in this weather. Freddy hasn't even pondered about going outside, even with the thought of not providing something for Chrom. Thankfully, there was a near endless supply of only-good-for-warmth food in the building. One day- I lost count after, what, 5? - The blizzard managed to stop. It felt great to finally leave this damn freezer- yes, I'm mad enough at this place to curse. We spent over a week here doing nothing. Even worse, I didn't have the freedom to go outside. Unless, of course, I wanted to turn into a Popsicle. Watching over Lissa was fun, but that was about all I could do.

"Everyone ready? It will still take a day or so to get back to Ylisstol." Numerous 'yeah's, 'yep's and 'not yet's sprang out from across the convoy after Chrom asked. I was busy carrying both Lissa's luggage and my own. Lon'qu had very few possessions, and was easily the first to finish packing. Of course, I was the one stuck with carrying a princess's stuff and packing it, let alone my own crap. After loading the third, of five, of Lissa's boxes onto our carriage, I slumped down onto the ground.

"Can't you get Frederick to do this? Oh my back…" I was hardly even half done with Lissa's stuff, and I still needed to pack my own. Thankfully, I only had one box of supplies. One heavy, wooden crate filled with medicines, clothes, shortswords, and a training foil- at least I think I brought that. I couldn't remember for sure.

"Keep working. You could use the strength."

"Yeah, that's why I don't see _you _carrying anyone's things, Lon'qu." I got up, cracking my back and stretching my arms. Three boxes down, three to go. Alright, which box to move first? This one looks OH GOD IT'S SO HEAVY! I couldn't even pick it up. I tried and tried and tired even more, but I could hardly tip one edge off the ground. All I could do was drag it across the snow until I reached the carriage. I really did put all of my might- which isn't much- into trying to pick this box up. Almost pitying me, Lon'qu finally came and helped me bring it up.

"What in Naga's name is in there, Lissa?" I think I pulled a muscle in my arm trying to lift that. Yes, internet, I don't lift.

"Stuff." Lissa shrugged.

"What kind of stuff? Oh, forget it. Was that the heaviest case?"

"I think so." Of course, I doubted that it could get any heavier than that last- OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

"That's it. Lon'qu, if you would, please load this box. I'm packing Lissa's last box and mine." Grumbling, I carried the last box- thankfully, this was the lightest- and slid it in the back of the convoy. I really, REALLY wanted to slam it, but I'd never hear the end of it from Lissa if I broke something in there. To my surprise, Lon'qu managed to carry the last of Lissa's luggage onto the carriage with relative ease. Alright, last box, and this one is mine. Thankfully, I didn't bring that much. Once my box was onboard, Lissa reached out a hand. She wanted me to help her on as well. Lon'qu turned skittish and wouldn't even try and reach out his arm. His face flushed to a deep red.

"See, Lon'qu?" I gripped Lissa's hand and pulled her on. She was a hell of a lot lighter than her luggage, that's for sure.

"It isn't that hard." All Lon'qu did was grumble.

"Chrom! We're ready!" The convoy sprung to life as it moved south to Ylisstol. It felt so good to leave Regna Ferox, and plus, the plot is about to pick up.

* * *

When night came, the whole convoy stopped, and everyone dismounted. Tents were pitched, fires were started- mostly by Fred- and just about everyone fell asleep within the hour. Everyone except me, of course. I had to take a leak. Nature calls, you know? I drank too much water on the convoy. I pulled up my pants and started to head back, but stopped when I could hear the subtle crackling of leaves and twigs around me.

"Frederick, is that you? Are you checking up on me?" There was no reply. The cracking noise only grew closer and more frequent. It couldn't have been Frederick. Freddy was slower and more deliberate. Whoever this was, he was fast and light.

"Hel-hello?" I could feel my heart rate skyrocketing. The night wasn't pitch black, but the cover of the trees made it darker and difficult to spot movement. Alright, no time for fear. My dagger was out, but I forgot my sword back in my tent. A shadowy figure jumped out from my left, clearly wielding a sword. He dashed past me, and I could feel his blade sink deep into my gut. I grabbed the back of his collar and plunged the knife into the back of his neck. His body fell limp, his hand's grip loosened, and his sword fell to the ground. Putting my hand on my left side, I tried to nurse the wound, or at least stop the bleeding. Saying the cut 'stung' was an understatement. Saying the wound 'burned' didn't 'cut' it. The pain was intense and overwhelming. Blood covered my whole stomach and my left hand. Thankfully, I wasn't wearing my jacket. I'm serious- that jacket was awesome. But what is it with me and getting wounded in the forests at night? Hopefully I don't pass out… I think I might. I would have started to shut my eyes, if it weren't for the earsplitting scream coming from the camp.

The scream was unmistakable, and I knew that voice. Lissa was being attacked. Slipping my dagger back into its sleeve, I hobbled over and picked up the assassin's sword. Despite the intense pain, I clutched my side and ran- well, staggered- towards the camp. It was just as I had thought; Lissa was cowering behind Lon'qu, and they, together, were outnumbered three to one. The first assassin rushed Lon'qu, who didn't even have his sword drawn. In one fluid, deadly motion, Lon'qu unsheathed his blade and cut the assailant down. It would have been really nice if they attacked one-by-one in a single file like that, but no, this has to be difficult. Two more attackers ran at the Feroxi swordsman. One was felled by Lon'qu's blade, while the other toppled over, a dagger wedged in his chest. I managed to hit him with throwing my dagger! One of the assassins recoiled back from the second thrown dagger and ran off. I think he was a redhead. A desperate attacker ran at me, but was quickly impaled and died. Of course he didn't die immediately, and wedged his own dagger in my gut. Lon'qu and Lissa, after killing the last assassin, ran over to me. Her staff did help stop the bleeding, but the pain was still intense. Soon, Chrom ran over, surprisingly not waking up half of the camp in the process. Chrom pulled me up, but I wasn't really ready, and stumbled down onto my knees.

"Lissa? Are you alright? What happened here?"

"Assassins attacked us. We're fine, but Trace was hurt. He'll live." Lissa only nodded at Chrom when Lon'qu blurted in.

"How many were there?"

"There were seven, sir, including the one that attacked me. One got away." I had regained my strength, and managed to stand on both legs without wobbling or falling over.

"Thank you, Trace. You should return to your tent. Drink some vulnerary and go back to bed." Chrom sounded like my mother, but I obeyed, mostly because I knew it was for my own sake. When I turned around and hobbled off, I could feel a hand on my shoulder.

"What were you doing out alone?" Lon'qu.

"I was uh… going to the bathroom. I'm serious." What could I say? The bastard caught me with my pants down. Thankfully, it was figuratively, not literally.

"Humph. Did you drop this?" Lon'qu held out a small, folded piece of paper. Half of it was drenched in blood.

"No." I still grabbed it though, because my curiosity got the better of me, as always. Unfolding it, I could only read about a quarter of it. Half of the page was a deep, solid red, and most of the handwriting was illegible. The writing was even worse than mine.

"Chrom, you might want to listen to this." He perked up and came over as I tried to read the note.

"_Make sure the t- –alted are killed. You may –re the th-. Watch out for-_

_- doesn't belong here._"

"Hmm, that's weird. That's all you could make of it?"

"Yeah. Sorry, sir. Most of the page is soaked in blood, and most of the writing is…" Chrom and Lon'qu glared at me when I had my mind-fuck moment.

"Is what, Trace?" After blinking a couple of times and rubbing my eyes, I looked down at the note. The handwriting wasn't _just_ illegible.

"Most of the writing is… gibberish. Lots of gibberish letters in the middle of real writing." After learning a second language, I've become adept at noticing patterns of languages. On the outside, a language can appear inconsistent and unusual, but all languages follow some kind of pattern. I could tell the writing wasn't an unknown language. It was too erratic, too imaginative, and too unique. It lacked any form of pattern or reoccurring characters. Each 'letter' was completely different from the last. Come to think of it, not a single pair of letters shared even a similar look. While I was busy examining the page, Chrom took it out of my hands.

"I'll hold onto it for now, and see if anyone in the castle could get any more out of it. Everyone go back to sleep. We'll worry about this later." Lissa ran off, Lon'qu reluctantly chasing after her. I snapped a salute- which I have been practicing- and walked off to my tent. _Doesn't belong here_. That one phrase bounced around my head.

_Doesn't belong here._

_Doesn't belong here._

_Doesn't belong here._

_Doesn't… belong… here…_

The phrase just kept echoing in my mind, and it was giving me a headache. I was half-way to my tent when Robin ran into me. Literally.

"Oh, sorry Robin. I wasn't paying attention. Are you alright?"

"I'd ask the same of you. What happened?"

"I was attacked. It's over now. Anyway, I had a question."

"Uh, fine. Shoot." He blew a small strand of his blonde hair away from his face.

"Where do you think you would be right now if you didn't join the Shepherds?" He looked at me, and then rubbed his nose.

"In the dirt, face down, probably killed and looted by bandits?" He smirked, but it faded when he realized I was serious. I can be dead serious when stressed out.

"No, where would you be if you didn't join the Shepherds. Where would you be if you said 'no' when Chrom asked if you wanted to join?" Rubbing his nose again, he thought for a moment. To give him credit, I would have no idea what to say if I were in his position.

"I… don't know. That's a good question. I'd probably just continue living on, minding my own business. Maybe I'd dig around a bit to see if I could find my past, but I'd probably just live a normal life. Why are you asking?"

"Dunno. I just had that burning question in my mind, especially considering I woke up in the middle of nowhere only to be picked up by Chrom, too." Robin only stared at me, and walked off. Something in his eyes told me that he knew I was lying. That I was hiding something. Gods, I'm probably not going to get any sleep tonight. Half of my reasoning for that is that my mind is going to be busy debunking that phrase, the other half is the fear of being attacked by another assassin. Back at my tent, I downed a vulnerary, stripped down to my 'smallclothes', and went to sleep. Maybe that phrase was about Robin, and he doesn't belong with the Shepherds.

* * *

_Doesn't belong here._

That isn't my voice; I'm back in the dream voice room. By room, I mean pitch black void.

_Doesn't belong here._

Stop saying that.

_No. Doesn't belong here. I know this phrase makes you uneasy._

So mature, aren't you?

_Doesn't belong here. Well, once you recognize who I am, and what I've been through, you'll take back those words. Doesn't belong here._

If you're going to quote that note, could you at least translate it?

_Nah, I'll take a pass. You said- well, thought- it yourself; it isn't a language. Nice rhyme, by the way. Doesn't belong here._

Can you stop? Antagonizing my sleep is torture enough.

_ Remember, when I choose to 'stop', you wake up. You'll probably curse me if I do that, so you're stuck._

I'll curse you either way, so it's a lose-lose for you.

_ Either you wake up super-early or you are stuck with me! It's a lose-lose for you as well!_

Well played, dream voice. Well played…

_Ooh, goodness, would you look at the time! Time to wake up, darling._

Darling?

_Yes, darling. Oh, and one more thing._

What?

_Doesn't belong here. Toodle-loo!_

* * *

"Trace! Wake up! We're packing up and moving out within the hour!" Robin's voice rang outside of my tent.

"I'm awake, Robin. Thanks, anyway." I was still in my smallclothes, with my bloody shirt lying on my storage box. With the shirt dried out, I slipped it into the box, and dragged it outside of my tent. After loading my box onto the carriage- Lissa, for some reason, didn't unpack, and I don't blame her- I went out to see Chrom. As unchanging as the North Star, he was hanging out near the lead carriage of the convoy. He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. After nearly a week of waiting in frigid conditions, we were all unaccustomed to the heat of Midwestern Ylisse.

"Hello, Trace. What is it… you're going to ask about the note, aren't you? I looked over it last night, and you're right. It is gibberish, mostly." What he said kind of took the wind out of my sails, but it felt good confirming it wasn't some weird Fire Emblem language I don't know.

"Actually, I was wondering what you thought of the last line, this 'doesn't belong here'?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe there was someone they were going to attack, but decided to save it for later. Maybe, if we are attacked again, we could find another note to clarify things."

"Yeah. I hate to say it, but I kinda want to be attacked again, now that I know it could happen. We could find more information."

"In a way, you are right. Anyway, how are you feeling? I could tell those assailants hit you hard."

"Much better, thanks. I need to get to my carriage." Another salute and I went off.

_ Doesn't belong here._

* * *

**Author's Note**

**It's interesting to write a dialogue heavy chapter like this- something I haven't done much of.**

**Another dream voice segment, which is really fun writing, but no real new cliches. I'm still stumped on adding good cliches.**

**What does the note mean? I guess we'll all have to see.**

**Farewell, and I will see you next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6- Mari Contrary

**Sorry for the semi-long wait (sort of), I was having some writers block writing this chapter, due to some excitement for the next chapter.**

**Also, my profile is now up and ready to go! Check dat out!  
**

**Enjoy, and remember, I still don't own Fire Emblem or any series mentioned in this work of fiction.**

* * *

Chapter 6

Mari Contrary

"Focus, Trace. Your training is useless if you doze off during it." A gauntlet covered hand shot out in front of me. Grabbing it, I pulled myself back up. Frederick's damn lance –and weapon triangle superiority- knocked me to the ground. We both moved to the edges of the circle, weapons out and ready.

"Time's up, next pairing." Robin was sitting at his desk, overlooking the Shepherd's training area. The large, flat lawn was filled with targets, barrels of wooden weapons, and painted circles for sparring strewn about. Robin looked down at his paper, and was busy writing on it with his quill.

"Frederick, your next sparring partner is… Vaike. Trace, yours is… Lon'qu." Of course Frederick gets the easy sparring partner. Even with the weapon triangle, Vaike is one of the easiest to spar against. That's why I love- and hate- fighters; they're a one trick pony that's easy-peasy to fight against. Myrmidons always, ALWAYS beat fighters. Lon'qu walked up to my circle. He and I were standing on opposite ends of the white, painted circle of grass.

"Hold up. Robin, you said we're better fighters if we pair up, right?" Robin looked up from his paper and nodded.

"Then I would prefer to fight alongside Lissa. She is training to use axes, right?" Again, Robin only nodded, this time not even spending the effort to look up. Pieces of paper like that must be very enrapturing to tacticians.

"LISSA! Someone wants to spar with you!" Robin, again, didn't even pull his head up. He didn't even say my name. Am I that forgettable? Lissa came running over to Robin, lugging a bronze axe with both hands, the weight of it resting on her shoulder. Putting all focus on his piece of paper, Robin pointed –not at me- in my general direction.

"Trace wants to practice with you. Grab a practice axe." Literally dropping the bronze axe to the ground where she stood, Lissa pulled out a wooden axe from one of the four barrels. The bronze blade sunk into the mound of dirt. She ran over to my side, putting the axe in her ready position.

"Alright, here's the plan, Lissa. You run up and smother Lon'qu. While he's frozen in fear and confusion, I'll run up and knock him over. Sound good?" Lissa responded with that same chirpy nod and mhm.

"Whu…what? N-no!" Alas, it was too late for Lon'qu, as Lissa had already enacted the masterful plan. Lissa glomped onto Lon'qu, and just as planned, he froze up. Dropping his training sword, he desperately tried to say something.

"G-g… get off of… m-me!" In the immortal words of Shanzira Dinrel, "Lon'qu can't English". Robin finally managed to look up from his paper, and facepalmed at the sight.

"Crafty thinking, Trace. But I don't think that we're going to be fighting any gynophobes soon. Practice normally." Robin was chuckling to himself, but not nearly as much as Lissa. Lissa let go of Lon'qu, who immediately backed away. Sliding the practice axe back into its barrel, Lissa ran over and pulled her bronze axe out of the dirt. Lugging it on her shoulder, she ran back to the targets she was practicing at. She was still cackling to herself.

"Alright, Lon'qu, let's do this for real. You're not traumatized, are you?" Both of our wood swords ready, we waited for one to make a move.

"No." Alright then, that means we can st- and I'm on the ground. Sweet god, he's fast. I hardly even noticed he was mov- and there's a blade next to my neck. A wooden one, but a blade nonetheless. If that were a real blade, I probably would have slipped right into it. I would be dead. It's very unnerving to think about how easy it is to die in this world. Lon'qu relaxed and drew his blade away. Looking up, it was Chrom. Thankfully, I took pride in the fact that there were many worse things Chrom could catch me doing while walking in. Being the strong, loyal, uber-attentive soldier I am (not), I jumped up and snapped another sharp salute at Chrom.

"Robin, I need you in the strategy room. Now. Trace, get Lissa for me, and meet up outside the garrison." What happened that got Chrom so riled up… oh, yeah. Maribelle.

At the Shepherd's garrison entrance, after a couple of hours, Chrom finally appeared, alongside Robin and… Emmeryn. Yep, what's happening is definitely happening.

"We should move out as soon as possible, Chrom. They probably aren't even trying to wait for a response, let alone a parley."

* * *

The group sent in to parley with the Plegians was me, Lissa, Chrom, and Emmeryn. I was assigned to guard Lissa, Chrom likewise for Emmeryn. Lissa was pretty much just there to see Maribelle. The negotiations were going well-ish. Gangrel really, REALLY wanted the Emblem, we really, REALLY wanted Maribelle. Gangrel tried at each turn to cause a war, Emmeryn sidestepped it each time and pointed towards peace. The parley grew to a standstill, and that's when Gangrel, drawing his Levin Sword, yelled out for his troops.

"I'll have the Emblem, even if I have to pry it from your cold, dead, shiny hands! ARCHERS!" I would have reacted, but his yell caught me off guard, and all I did was recoil. Three Plegian axemen ran forward as Gangrel ran off. Oh, and a giant cloud of arrows appeared and flew out from the nearby canyon. Oh, and it's heading straight for us. Oh, hey, somebody just grabbed my collar and-

* * *

Many Years Later, Two Years After Ylisstol's Fall

"Well, I guess that you're ready, if you're _this_ eager to do so. Sorry I couldn't finish teaching you riding." The knight, now clad in new white-and-brown painted armor, flipped down the face cover. While muted, his voice was clearly heard in the soundless room.

"Well, just make sure Kjelle doesn't improve until I get back. Do improve her cooking, though. I don't want to return from this only to get sick again." With a gauntleted hand, the knight took his axe and slid it into its sheathe. On his horse, which had a notable lack of armor compared to its rider, the knight ran off, and went straight into the glowing teal gate.

"Well, now what?"

* * *

"Current" Time, Ylisse/Plegia Border

Well, now, I'm propped up against a tree. I looked around and Lissa is fine. Guess I followed through there. Sharp pain filled my chest as I looked down. Four arrows found their way into my body. All four arrows managed to break through my vest like it was nothing. It suddenly got much harder, and more painful, to breathe. The three blondes- Robin, Lissa, and Maribelle, were huddled around me. I could see Ricken in the back of my vision, near Maribelle's horse, slinging Elwind magic from a distance.

"Sorry, Trace, but we have to remove each arrow before we heal it." I couldn't tell if Robin was legitimately trying to comfort me, but I could hardly tell. Mostly because I drew in a sharp pain every time I tried to breathe.

"Think of something pleasant." Oh, gee Robin, thanks for that extremely vague hint. I'm sure that will OHMYGODSTHATHURTS! I think I just felt my left lung collapse. Blood spurted and sprayed out of my torso, and I felt an unbelievable pain. I could feel a slight, warm tickle as I started to have a faint green glow. Before long, the wound stopped jetting blood, and my breathing got slightly less painful, but the overall pain in that area remained intense. Robin gripped the second arrow and he's about to pull it out and… he didn't. Robin fell to his knees, clutching his back. A hand axe was lodged in his back. I could hardly see, in the back, Ricken hitting the axe thrower with his magic. Lissa pulled out the axe, and healed his back, but Robin still lay there, immobilized. I could see the panic in Lissa's eyes, which were darting around just as much as she was running around. Maribelle ran up to me, and started ripping out the last three arrows. I'm not overreacting; she was literally ripping out each arrow with no care or precision. I didn't really like her to start and this was- ARGH- not helping. More glowy green light, more tingling warmth, and the wounds closed up. Sumia's Pegasus landed down near us. Hopping off, Chrom rushed over, while Sumia tried to comfort the fatigued animal. Chrom pulled Robin up onto his shoulder, while Lissa and Mari Contrary supported me. Setting me on Maribelle's horse, we rode towards the convoy. It wasn't the full size convoy, like the one we used on the way to Ferox, but was instead a small deployment group.

"Hang on, guys. We'll make it." It hurt to move. Even trying to wrench my body in a single direction caused sharp pain to run throughout me. Robin's body was still limp, his jacket 'coated' in blood (pun intended, regret nothing).

* * *

When I woke up back in Ylisstol, Lissa and Maribelle greeted me. I must have been in some kind of sick bay. Robin was in the bed on my right, still silent and motionless.

"Oh, Trace, you're awake!" Lissa was not only excited, but also relieved. She was probably looking over every small injury Robin and I had sustained, and it probably worried her to death. It felt… good to see her relieved like that.

"The good news is, you two are both alive, and will recover for combat in a few days. Robin is still out cold, though." I put my hand up to my chest, which was uncovered. I felt the scar on my left side, and realized I had all the scars from the previous fights. All the scars from the two forests, the arena, and now this.

"And then there's the… bad news. Your lung is…"

"Punctured. It will heal with proper medicine and magic, but don't expect to fight until you are fully recovered, Mister." Maribelle interrupted when she thought Lissa couldn't deliver the news.

"But, I must express my gratitude. You saved my darling Lissa. Without you, she would have…" Maribelle stopped, letting her emotions sink in. She pulled out a plate of tall brown glass bottles, and set them on the desk in between our two recovery beds.

"I have to go, but… thank you. There! I said it!" Maribelle stomped off, leaving the three of us in the recovery room.

"Drink one bottle of concoction a day, Trace. It will help with the healing. I need to see Maribelle. Get some rest, now. No need to overdo anything." As she left, Lissa put out the lamp. When the door shut, I was submerged in total darkness. I fell asleep very quickly- mostly due to sheer physical and mental fatigue- but was awoken during the night. I heard a faint shuffling- which didn't truly wake me- but the clinking of glassware did. I looked over to my right, and saw a small, cloaked figure looking over Robin. The figure, with no distinguishable features other than a small body size and flowing brown cloak, looked at me. I could see the sparkle of his eyes from the moonlight from the window. From what I could see, his eyes widened in fear and he bolted out the door. When he ran, he dropped a tall bottle, which crashed and cracked when it hit the ground. And what did I do? The smart thing, obviously. I got up and ran after the figure. Gods, he was fast. Well, I got winded after about a minute of running around, and the figure just disappeared. One minute, he was at a dead end, the next, he was gone.

"Trace? What are you doing? Shouldn't you be resting?" Chrom was behind me, his hand on Falchion's grip.

"There was someone… hah… in my… hah… room." It hurt to breathe heavily. That wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do. Gods, I'm even worse at running than I was before. Chrom was leading me back to the recovery wing- the Ylisstol palace is very large- and two things struck my mind. One, I still didn't have a shirt on. Two, who the hell saved me back at the parley?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Whelp, this chapter came up a bit short compared to the others, but I'm planning a lot for the next chapter.**

**Here's the important update:**

**As you may know, summer is coming to a close. August is half way over, and in a few weeks, it's back off to high school. I still need to do my Honors summer project, too, but I still have time. Well, when school comes, expect my rate of work on fanfiction to slow down considerably, but not stop altogether. I have no plan to stop writing Sins of a Self Insert or any fanfiction I might work on, but I will need to lower them on my list of priorities. My long, overwhelming list of priorities.**

**Anyway, tis not the hour for pondering the pessimistic thoughts of the inevitable return of education!**

**(Good, I'm getting in some much-neeed practice for writing Owain. Good thing he comes in much later.)**

**I will still be working on fanfiction, even if school means I will rarely get time for it.**

**May the gods of the self insert watch over you and protect from cloaked intruders!**


	7. Chapter 7- Bloody Revelation

**In this chapter, we see some supports, some important story-things, and some other stuff.**

**Yet again, I must say, I do not own Fire Emblem or any series mentioned in this work of fiction.**

**Also! 15 follower milestone! WHOOP WHOOP!**

* * *

Chapter 7

Bloody Revolution

Being crippled sucks. Chrom hasn't let me go on any Risen-hunting missions, and hasn't even listened to my boredom-fueled pleas and begging. I can't even spar with the Shepherds anymore; I can still wipe the floor with some, but I'm down on the ground panting for mercy- and a drink- within minutes. Even Vaike could beat me! Vaike! He's the one I usually gloat about beating easily! Lissa has been force-feeding me concoctions and has made it a habit to regularly waste her staff if I so much as trip. This happens quite a lot, to be honest. With my injuries and balance issues outside of combat position, it's only a little bit of time before the blonde comes running towards me, staff out and ready. You'd think the constant staffing- oh gods that sounds so wrong- would help my crippled lung, but it strangely doesn't. Maybe Chrom won't let me join him because this is classic mode, and I've permanently retreated. Am I stuck in this state forever? Probably not, because I would have left the Shepherds and retired if that was the case. As far as Chrom has let on, I'm probably going to get back into the fight later. Since I'm pretty much only a moment away from having Lissa around no matter what I do, I decided to help her and Maribelle out in the sick bay. One day, I was technically done assisting the cleric in helping the injured, but I remained in the sick bay, reading but ready to help if anything was needed. Robin still hasn't woken up yet, and it's actually starting to scare me. What if he's dead? I wonder how the game will change without him. Of course it scared me even more when Robin woke up in the middle of the day, screaming his head off.

"Oh, hey, Trace. Where am I?"

"You're in hell. You died with me, and we're stuck here. Forever." Robin glared at me, clearly not amused.

"No, really, where are we? This isn't the Shepherd's base."

"Ylisstol palace. Me and Li- Lissa and I- have been slaving over your body for the past three days." Of course I stopped and fixed my grammar like that because that's what I do. Robin scratched his head, which ruffled his blonde hair, and looked at his Grimleal jacket, which was hanging on the wall next to the door. Freddy did a good job of knitting and cleaning the jacket, and it almost looked like the wearer _didn't_ almost die wearing it! Of course, Chrom had to interrupt my reunion with the slightly-worse condition cripple of the group.

"Trace? You said you were chasing an intruder before? I think we found her." Chrom piqued my interest and, after putting a new bottle of concoction at Robin's desk, I followed him outside the palace. At the entrance were two dead soldiers in the blue Ylissean uniform. Stahl, who probably wasn't there at first, had his sword out and was looking around. Looking at the dead bodies, one had a large burn across his chest. The other had a hand axe protruding from his chest. The blade struck him dead in the ribs. He probably had no chance of surviving, if I say so myself with no experience in medicine.

"This one was killed with an axe. The other was killed with magic. Basic fire, I'm guessing." Stahl slid his sword back at his side, and went back into the palace.

"You said the intruder was short, in a dark cloak? That's what she was like. Must've ran off and had help from a mercenary." Stahl, not waiting for an answer, continued looking around. So, the sneaky intruder sneaking up on Robin was a girl. I honestly couldn't tell as, unlike Marth, she actually had a disguise other than a mask! The cloak covered her whole body, and I actually couldn't tell a single thing about her besides her clothing.

"Trace, you head back in. Stahl, help me with these bodies." I gave a long, solemn look into the forest that was to the east of the palace. That's when I saw something, a small piece of cloth or so, dangling in the wind, yet held down by a rock. Walking over, it was a piece of paper. It was a ripped corner of a page. Picking it up, it had written scribbling on it, in some language. Part of the page was soaked in blood. It actually looked like it was written in a language, so I gave it to Chrom.

"Thanks, friend. I'll give this to Miriel, see what she can find."

* * *

Four hours earlier, outside the Ylisstol palace

"Why am I doing this for you? I have much more important things to do." The girl, holding out a small, leather pouch, quietly laughed to herself in reaction to the mercenary's statement.

"Because you're a mercenary. And I'm paying you. That's why." She tugged on the mercenary's armor, and pushed the leather pouch further into his face.

"If things go right, you won't need to do anything." The mercenary hesitantly took the pouch and opened it. After examining the contained coins, he closed the pouch and slipped it into a small pocket in his armor.

"And if things go wrong?"

"Well, you probably don't have a problem with killing rank-and-file soldiers, right?" The mercenary sighed, and scratched his neck as he thought.

"Fine. But if things go sour, I'm expecting more pay."

As the two went out, heading for the palace, the girl mouthed a small phrase, which the mercenary didn't pick up. _Remember what father said_.

* * *

"Current" Time, Ylisstol Palace

I was at my desk in my new dorm in the palace -thankfully, I was alone- and I was finishing up _Ribald Tales of the Faith War_. That's when I heard a knock at my door. I was placed pretty close to the sick bay so it's probably… yes, it's Lissa.

"Heya, Trace! Here's your medicine." I took the concoction, and put it on my desk.

"So, how are you doing?"

"Meh." I shrugged. Honestly, besides the major injury that's prevented me from doing ANYTHING, I did feel pretty… meh.

"Oh? What's wrong?" Maybe if I start whining about my sheer boredom, this will turn into a support conversation. That would be nice- if only real conversations had benefits like that.

"Just a bit homesick is all." While I didn't really think before saying that, I actually realized what I said was completely, utterly true. I haven't bathed in weeks, I've been traveling and fighting constantly, and I get nostalgic about home if I as much as taste soup.

"Well, maybe, when this is all over, you can return home."

"It's funny. I hardly remember *where* I came from, but I'm still getting nostalgic about it."

"We can find it. It can't be that hard!" Oh gods, that smile. I need a new word to describe it… oh, no, not that one. Anything but that one… _kawaii_. Oh gods, how far have I sunken?

"Is that a promise?"

"Well, sure!"

"I guess we'll have to see, Lissa." Oh for crying out loud, what have I done? WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?

_Trace and Lissa have received support rank C_.

Aww yes. The message popped in my head as Lissa left, carrying my old bottle of medicine out. It even had the sound effect. I looked out the window of my room, and realized it was getting dark. Fast. I thought about perusing the palace, maybe look for someplace to bathe. I stunk, and the only time I really 'cleaned' myself was when I switched clothing. It had to be somewhere and- oh hello, Lon'qu. OOF! He shoved a wooden sword into my hands, nearly slamming it into my chest.

"Follow me. We're training now." All I did was nod and get a proper grip on my oaken sword. I guessed that we never really did finish our training session; Chrom did interrupt us right at the beginning. We left the palace interior and traveled to the main courtyard. The green grass shone faintly from the light of the now-raising moon. Much like the Shepherd's garrison, white circles were painted all around for sparring areas. There were even white boxes to represent the 'safe' areas to view said sparring. Just like that one day back at the garrison, Lon'qu and I stood at opposite edges of the circle. Wooden blades were drawn, we were in position, and the elements were in their place.

"Go easy on me, Lon. I'm not in peak condition yet." Hmm, I wonder if he was fine with me calling him Lon. When Lon'qu made the first action, I actually managed to parry his attack. My riposte failed miserably, as the quick little bugger dodged back with ease. I couldn't tell if my parry succeeded because he was holding back, or I just knew what he was doing. Hopefully, it was the latter. Gripping the handle of the wooden sword tighter, I ran at the Feroxi. The edge of my blade barely grazed him as he sidestepped, but it didn't do anything. It also failed to prevent him from bringing his blade down on my back. With a sharp crack, I was slumped on the ground. He didn't expect me to do anything other than get up, which gave me enough time to slap him on the leg with my training sword. He tripped and fell to the ground, but stood upright in a crouched position to brace the fall. I got up, wiped the dirt off my skin, and felt a small scrape on my elbow. Nothing major- especially compared to other injuries I have had. Handing the wooden sword back to Lon'qu, I made my way back to the palace.

"I said to go easy. I'm not nearly close to being at my best. Chrom hasn't let me fight ever since my injury." What he said back to me piqued my interest just enough to make me stop cold.

"That's the point. Chrom's planning to bring you back in soon. Even then, you're not near 'peak' shape." He was right.

"Yeah. But I do need to get some rest. Risen could pop up overnight nowadays, and I need to be ready."

"Be back here tomorrow. Same time." With a quick wave, I left.

"I'll be ready. Prepare yourself, Lon. This ain't over yet."

_Trace and Lon'qu have received support rank C._

Heading back inside, I continued my search for some way to clean myself. Of course, I didn't ask for directions, and gave up after an hour of back-tracking and mindless wandering. Back at my room, I slid under the covers and fell asleep almost instantly. That was mostly because my back ached from Lon'qu's strike.

The next day passed with little of note. Chrom and the Shepherds spent most of their time in the courtyard training. When the sun began to set, I simply waited in the courtyard. My lesson with Lon'qu was going to start soon, and I wanted to be ready for him. Lissa, who apparently was taking a day off from healing, sat near the entrance. She can't be comfortable; the fairly mild day climate here quickly changed to cold nights. I had to put on my jacket just to get enough warmth to step outside after dinner. Lissa was still in her usual cleric outfit, but the metal skirt brace was removed, which is probably the least comfortable thing to wear while sitting. Lowering my practice sword, I went to one of the tables in the courtyard. I decided to reward myself for my hard training with a sweetroll… but it isn't there. I brought it out, but it's gone now. _Let me guess. Someone stole your sweetroll?_

"Hey, Lissa! Did you take my sweetroll?"

"No." She got up, straightened her skirt, and went back inside. It didn't look like she took it; mostly because it didn't look like she even moved once. I thought I heard voices, coming from the other side of the courtyard. Looking over, Chrom and Robin were conversing with each other, their bodies barely illuminated by the moonlight. I could hardly tell Robin was there, but Chrom's reflective shoulder guard gave him away easily. Wait, it's nighttime at the Ylisstol palace, and Chrom and Robin are talking with each other. That means… oh no. Masked Marth- who I technically shouldn't know right now- approached the commander and his chief tactician. I pondered about walking up, and decided to do so, mostly to formally 'introduce' myself to Marth.

"Uh, Chrom? Who is this?"

"Trace, this is 'Marth'. He was at the arena. He… has his secrets, for one thing." With haste, Marth quickly interrupted Chrom before he could finish.

"Look, time is running out. I'm about to save your life, Chrom, from _him_." Marth's blade was already drawn, and thrown in the air, as the hooded assassin dashed out of the bush. The gold and silver blade flickered in the moonlight as it spun through the air. With a quick slice, the assassin screeched to a halt, falling on the ground and dunking into a pool of his own blood.

"Marth! Eyes up!" Despite my warning, Marth failed to notice the assassin that jumped out of the tree. The assailant's blade ripped her mask open, revealing Marth's female face. As Marth collapsed, Chrom drew Falchion and cut the assassin down in one motion. Looking back, I saw that the first assassin was wounded, yet still alive. With his hood knocked down, I could see the assassin's orange hair. Gripping his iron sword close to his chest, he mumbled something under his breath.

"This is what I get… for stealing a sweetroll… no more sweets for me… wait, is that… you?" His eyes slid shut and the grip on his sword loosened. I just realized that Marth _killed_ _Gaius_. And why did he react that way to seeing me? My gamer mind-fuck moment was interrupted by a slight gurgling sound, as well as a weak coughing. Looking down, Marth's chest was cut open. The second assassin's blade not only destroyed her mask, but also went down and cut her from the middle of the ribs to her stomache. Marth looked at me, saying nothing, but her eyes watering. I think I heard a whimper come from her direction. That's when there was a large crash coming from the castle.

"Let's go! Robin, bring Marth in. Lissa or Emm can help her, but we need to go, now!" Chrom sheathed Falchion and ran into the palace. I stayed behind to help Robin carry Marth.

"Are you sure you can fight, Trace? I certainly can't yet." Robin was still recovering from his axe wound, and probably couldn't wield a sword.

"Yeah. You just stay back and use magic. I'll cover you if anyone gets close." Carrying the wounded time-traveler, Robin and I picked up the pace to catch up with Chrom. Inside the palace, most of the Shepherds were still in preparations, while some of the castle guard started engaging the attacking force. The group was massive; far larger than usual. Instead of around 20, we had easily 60 hostile attackers in the palace. In the Exalt's personal room, Robin and I helped carefully lay Marth down on the table. Her breathing was erratic and troubled, her arms shook uncontrollably if she tried to move them, and her long blue hair was stained with the deep red of her own blood.

"Where's Lissa?" While the Exalt watched in near horror as Marth bled out, she didn't have a staff to help with.

"Right here." Staff out and ready, Lissa got to work while the castle guard reinforcements poured out of the nearby hallway.

"Prepare yourself. The assassins should scatter if we defeat their leader." Pulling a Thunder tome from his jacket, Robin opened up to the newest page in preparation.

"Just keep working, Lissa. We'll deal with the assassins." With my sword drawn out, I looked over the palace interior. Guards had already engaged the attackers, but with little to no avail. Something glowing caught my eye. Looking at it with more focus, it was glowing a deep purple, and it bore a striking similarity to… oh no.

"Stahl! Hey! Stahl! Cover for me. I need to do something." As the verdant cavalier dashed over, I ran full speed at the doppelganger. With a war cry to make nations fear me, I lunged at him.

Big mistake.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Cliffhanger ending because 'tension'. Anywho, the next chapter will 'finish the fight' of the Exalt's assassination. **

**As you may tell, unless she is a raging necrophiliac, GaiusXSumia ain't happening. In terms of shipping, there aren't really that many confirmed ships right now. But ChromXSumia is probably going to happen. This chapter started off slow for me, but got really fun to write.**

**Watch out for assassins!**

**MAJOR NOTE- PLEASE READ! (28 August, 2013)**

**I'M BACK, BABY! Work on Chapter 8 is underway, and should be done by next week. Thanks to those who haven't given up, and it feels great to be working on Sins of a Self Insert again.**


	8. Chapter 8- Big Mistake

**The Cole Train is back home on the rails!**

**My summer project is complete, but I still have a few days until school, so I wanted to get this chapter out soon.**

**Here, we are introduced to another OC, but first, we need to Finish the Fight.**

* * *

Chapter 8

Big Mistake

I wonder what Stahl was thinking when I abandoned my position and ran out into the middle of the fight. I wonder what Robin was thinking. Or Lissa, or Emmeryn, or Marth. Or any soldier fighting in the battle. But they didn't see what I saw. They couldn't think what I was thinking. They didn't see the Future version of Robin, glowing and glistening in the purple haze emanating from his body. Even if they did, they wouldn't truly _know_ why I took the initiative- which I rarely do- in attacking him. Gods, I'm an idiot for trying.

My blade shot out in front of me, ready to stab and kill the time traveling dragonman- ok, that sounds like a stoner's fantasy- who was audacious enough to appear this early. Of course, I was yelling, panting, and stomping my feet as I ran, which gave me away long before I could enter combat with him. Grima-Robin simply stood there, watching as I advanced through the darkened halls of the palace. When I got in range to lunge at him, he simply side stepped. My blade chopped off part of the gold trimming of his jacket, but did nothing else. With one hand, he grabbed the collar of my shirt. With the other, he shot a bolt of dark magic down into my spine. All the muscles in my body started clenched into one, massive, magic-induced charley horse. My vision grew fuzzy as even the muscles in my eyes started to tense up, and any attempt to scream or call for help failed. My mouth could only stay agape; no sound could escape it. Grima tossed me to the ground, where I simply slumped. I could hear a small moan escape my mouth, but that was it. My iron sword was cast aside, too far away for my weakened body to reach. Grima knelt over me, pulling his hood over his face. The hood cast a shadow, hiding his features, but his glowing brown-red eyes shone through the shadow and dark clouds surrounding his body.

"Can you not see the futility of your actions?" Grima's voice was a sharp sting, causing me to recoil and flinch even when my body was in its current state. I felt the power to raise my left hand in protest, but he quickly slammed it to the ground, and pain shot up my arm.

"It does not matter if you try. You will not be alive to see any outcome." A glowing ball of swirling purple rays materialized in Grima's hand. The mark on his hand pulsated as the ball grew in size. When the energy reached the size of a watermelon, it suddenly stopped growing, and dissipated. Wrenched in Grima's back was the iconic silver and gold blade.

"I believe the one you want… _is me_!" Falchion's blade pulled out of Grima's torso. Risen-like plumes of smoke poured out of the wound in the place of blood. As he fell to the ground, Marth was revealed to be behind him. Bracing herself with Falchion, she was strong enough to stand, but was weak enough to stumble and lose balance. Grima's hood fell down, exposing his face. His mouth contorted to a snarl. But, instead of fighting back, he mumbled something under his breath, and disappeared. Swirls of golden magic were all that remained of him, with a small plume of purple-grey smoke where his feet once were. When the smoke dissipated, I could feel my muscles start to relax, and I could actually get up. I felt like celebrating, but I realized two things. One, Grima wasn't dead, and two, a thoron bolt just dashed past us. I managed to flinch and avoid the second bolt, but Marth wasn't as lucky. Her eyes widened as she clutched her throat. The thoron bolt was wedged in her neck. Stumbling back into a wall, Marth fell onto her knees. Her Falchion dropped to the ground as her hand let go. Sheathing my sword and grabbing Marth's arm, I tried to pull her back to Robin's position. A third thoron bolt cracked by me, causing me to flinch and let go of her. Her body fell limply to the ground, with no reaction or resistance. The craven in me said to leave Marth and run. The few-weeks-old soldier in me said to leave Marth and fight the mage that was attacking us. Since I really wanted to see just who was attacking us, I went with the latter route. Funny, as both choices involved leaving a wounded ally lying on the ground. Drawing iron, I looked at the mage-or, sorcerer- engaging us. He was tall, had dark skin, dark black hair, and red eyes that, even at this distance, glowed with anger and hatred. It was Validar. Instead of attacking us from a distance, he tossed aside his yellow Thoron tome, closing the distance. As I saw the sorcerer pull out a purple dark magic tome, a firm yet weak grip on my arm pulled me into a nearby hallway. Robin's back was glued to the wall, his thunder tome gripped closely to his chest.

"Robin? What the hell are you doing? He's going to finish Marth off now!" I tried to make my voice a whisper, but Validar could probably hear each word I said.

"Don't worry. Just stay close to me." Before I could object, Robin turned the corner and starting moving into range of the sorcerer. I kept to his side à la Dual Support.

"Oh ho! I know you two." Validar readied his tome, as Robin did the same.

"Submit to me, and I may honor you two with the truth!" Not even thinking it over, Robin blasted thunder magic at him. The effect of his attack was… arguable. It hardly hurt him, but it did give me enough time to perform a DUAL... STRIKE! If I ever needed to have a critical hit, and a quote for it, it's now- maybe I should borrow Lon'qu's Killing Edge for a while.

"WELCOME TO DIE!" I ran at Validar and performed a fencing flèche, impaling him as I ran past- kudos if you know where that quote is from.

What's a flèche, you ask? Simple. It's a fencing technique where one leaves en guard position (which is somewhat akin to a squat or crouch) and runs towards the target, hitting with the point, and running past the target after hitting. The surprise element of the attack combined with the running and passing means one can score a hit with very little chance of a counterattack or parry. The closest thing to a flèche in Fire Emblem: Awakening is probably the Luna animation- as you pass by the target instead of hitting and retreating.

"Curse you!" Validar stumbled back, but was still alive. I quickly dashed past him to get back by Robin's side.

"You're finished!" Robin jumped back in preparation, and cast a large bolt of thunder magic, blasting Validar dead center and knocking him to the ground. Wow, two critical hits in a row. The RNG goddess has blessed us.

"Years of searching… both of you… ruined…" Validar began to dematerialize, almost as if he was a Risen.

"That's it. Trace, let's go find Marth. The soldiers can clean up the rest." We ran over to the hallway where Marth was, and she was gone. A pool of blood was still there, but her body disappeared. Four cavaliers, led by an axe-wielding Great Knight, stormed past us and started engaging assassins at the end of the hallway. Sumia's pegasus- which I still have no idea how it could fly indoors- landed by us. Chrom hopped off the winged horse and met up with the two cripples of the Shepherds.

"The Shepherds are falling back. The assassins are scattering, and the guards will take care of the rest… Where's Marth?"

"Dunno. Let's just go and get some rest. Without their leader, the assassins don't stand a chance. The guards will have an easy fight."

"Yeah, let's go." That was my first fight with Grima and Validar. Interesting. I'm probably going to stay up all night pondering just why Grima decided to show up this early and how Marth disappeared in the middle of the fight- and where she went.

* * *

Or, I could sleep well but be awoken in the middle of the night to the sound of fireballs churning throughout the palace. That's alright, too. The fire magic woke me up, but I didn't really have any incentive to do anything about it until three Ylissean soldiers, lances in hand, ran past my room yelling.

"Someone stop that damned girl!" By the time I opened the door, two of the soldiers were wrestling with a small girl in a brown cloak. Her hood was down, exposing long blonde strands of hair that went down past her shoulders. She was fairly short yet very thin, clearly not a fighter. She was waving around a thick, red book, slamming it on the guard's arms. After being wailed on, one guard's grip finally weakened. The girl managed to pry her arms loose of the Ylissean soldiers, and bolted down the hallway in my direction. As she ran past me, I grabbed her arm and pulled her over. Dropping her tome, she started punching me in the chest.

"Let! Go! Of! ME! You don't know who my brother is- and I NEED to see him!" The three soldiers drew closer, but I waved them off and got them to stop. One was still rubbing his beaten arm.

"Wait, you're looking for your brother? In this palace?" Letting go of her arm, I could see the relief on her face. It probably would feel good to see that at least one soldier had the patience to listen. She nodded, but her brown eyes were still coldly glaring at me.

"If your brother is here, I probably know him. We can find him; just… please don't hit me with your book." Crouching down, the girl picked up her book off the ground, dusted it off, and slid it into a pocket on the inside of her cloak.

"It's a _tome_, nitwit."

"TomAYto, tomAHto. There's no difference." The girl led us on a wild goose chase, walking all around the palace. She looked at each nametag outside each personal room, but got lost after a few minutes. After going in circles and checking the same hallway three times in a row, we finally came to the room she wanted. The girl threw open the door, verified that the person was still inside, and ran in.

"Brother!" She bolted in, and I could hear her tackle-hug the person inside. I peeked inside, and saw everyone's favorite tactician. A small girl, a few inches shorter than him, was affectionately clamped onto him. Robin's eyes said instantly what words needn't be said. The look on his face said, "_What the hell is this?_" Then I remembered that he was an amnesiac. This was going to be extremely awkward explaining to her.

"Brother? Robin? Don't you recognize me? It's me! Odessa! Your little sister!" Robin finally managed to break free of Odessa's imprisoning hug.

"Heh. The funny thing about that… Trace? Can you get Chrom for me? I need do some explaining. Oh, and those soldiers can go back to whatever they were." Obeying the master tactician, the three blue-clad lancers marched off in separate directions. I snapped Robin an _Attack on Titan_ salute- left hand balled in a fist lowered behind your back, right hand balled in a fist over your heart- and went off to get Chrom. Finding the bluenette prince was an easy task; I found him stoically standing in his dorm. For some reason, his cape wasn't fluttering masterfully in the wind like it usually is. Maybe it only does that when he's outside. Either way, I grabbed his upper arm and started dragging him over to Robin's room. The two blondes- who really did look related- were deep in conversation. Frederick was visiting them, sternly listening over their family reunion. All three held small cups of tea. I wanted tea now.

"So, you really don't remember me? Hah, well I guess I don't really know you. All I know is that mother ran away with you when we were just babies."

"Robin, who's this?" Chrom decided to interrupt the reunion, but it was Frederick that answered him.

"Milord, this girl, the one who was skulking around here for the past week, claims to be Robin's sister. While her secrecy and actions are questionable, the resemblance between them is… uncanny." Frederick was right. Both had blonde hair, brown eyes, proficiency for magic, and a similar face.

"Well, if you really want to stay with your brother, you can join us. If not, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Of course I'd join you! I have no memories of my brother, and I'd love to fix his problem." Chrom spared no sugarcoating in his reply.

"That means living with us. Fighting with us. You would need to give up your past lifestyle to become a soldier."

"I'm… I'm fine with that." She gripped Robins arm closer to her. "As long as I can stay with my brother. The name's Odessa, by the way." Alright, time for me to act authoritative.

"Well, if there are no objections, we can always use more mages. Plus, these long-lost siblings probably have a lot of catching up to do."

"You're right. Odessa, I'm Chrom, and I lead this group. This is Trace, one of our soldiers. Welcome aboard, I'll find you a room and get some supplies for you. Trace, you can go back to sleep."

"Oh, Trace? Thank you for letting me do this. I don't know what those soldiers would've done…" I nodded, snapped another _AoT_ salute to Chrom, Odessa, and Robin, and left. Today was really weird.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**During my week-long hiatus, I got into the anime show ****_Attack on Titan_****, so I'm really, REALLY fighting the urge to give all the Shepherds 3D Maneuver Gear. Speaking of which, an Attack on Titan-Fire Emblem crossover would be completely awesome.**

**Anyway, thanks for your patience. Here's Odessa's barracks description.**

**Odessa**

**Robin's younger sister. She has a somewhat immature determination, and a playful demeanor. She can be a bit childish in her emotions, but is approachable and enjoyable nonetheless. The strictest on proper diction. Born on June 9th.**

**Also, I've been thinking, and here are my critical quotes.**

**"Welcome to die!"**

**"Give us the freedom of death!" (Attack on Titan Intro Lyrics)**

**"No, WE are the hunters!" (Attack on Titan Intro Lyrics)**

**"Apocalypse... any time now!"**

**"You better BELIEVE that's a crit!"**

**Thank you for your patience, and have a great new year in school, whether you're in high school, college, or anywhere else!**


	9. Chapter 9- Cost our Lives

**Alrightey then, here is the next chapter.**

**Thank you Rosh Hashanah for giving me days off of school- and since I'm Christian, I don't have to do anything religious!**

**Another OC is being added this time around, but first, we need to finish a support conversation.**

**Do I really need to say I don't own Fire Emblem? Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 9

Cost our Lives

"Robin, why did you join these crap-heap soldiers anyway?" Odessa sat at her oaken desk, her usually gleaming face deepened with sheer boredom. She spent her idle time fiddling with a jackknife, which had a sheathe which hid inconspicuously in her mage's robes. While her clothing lacked the gaudy eye decals of her brother's jacket, she still wore the signature, outlandish black and purple colorings of her home country's religion.

"They picked me up off the street, literally. I showed them my tactical genius, and they realized I can be an invaluable asset. Chrom is great for seeing potential like that." Robin was skimming through a tactics book, reviewing a few stratagems for the incoming war with Plegia.

"But, of all things, I can't see what Chrom sees in Trace. I see a good fighter, and the Shepherds will need many of those, but he's reckless. Unpredictable. I can't see him following the set orders we may need to adhere to in order to win. For all I know, he may be the death of a fellow soldier. I don't want that to happen."

"Wow, Robin, do you rant like this often? Trace knows to listen, I can tell for myself. He wouldn't disobey an order."

"And how could you tell? You've only seen him once, and not even in combat! How can we te…" Robin, his face starting to glow with anger, was interrupted by a third voice, projecting from the doorway.

"Peace, Robin. I've hardly seen you so worked up. Trace's heart is in the right place, I can tell. You said it yourself- I'm 'great for seeing potential'". Chrom stood at the entrance to Robin's dorm, leaning against the doorframe as if he's been there for more than a while.

"Now come on you two, we need to start moving out. Pack up for an expedition." Odessa quickly put away her knife, and hopped up.

"Yessir!" She adapted to military life fairly quickly, almost as if she was used to it.

"Ugh… fine. Yes, sir." Robin hesitantly got up, thinking over his recent conversation. He straightened his jacket, and tightened the golden fittings. Grabbing his lightning tomes and tactics books, Robin left following Odessa, scraping by Chrom.

_Robin and Odessa have received support rank C._

* * *

Nothing spurs you out of a tiring, boredom-induced stupor like the sound of pounding at your door.

"Who is it? And stop slamming the door, if you break it you buy it!" My shallow threat actually managed to get the man on the other side to stop. I didn't even plan on acting on that threat if he did break the door.

"It's Stahl. Old Man Chrom's telling us to pack up. We're moving out to the convoy."

"Right-o. Thanks, Stahl." I immediately took all of my stuff, most of which wasn't even used, and threw it into my luggage box. I slipped on my armor vest and left the room. Stahl was nowhere to be seen, probably gathering the other Shepherds. Outside, the convoy was bustling with activity. There weren't just the Shepherds; Emmeryn and two teams of Pegasus knights were near the front, conversing and preparing. Upon closer inspection, Captain Phila and another Falcon Knight were talking with Chrom and Emmeryn.

"Milord, this is my second-in-command, Captain Regine." Phila motioned toward the smaller, younger Falcon Knight behind her. The younger knight had her helmet strapped on tightly, but I could see small brown locks of hair sneaking out. Her baggy uniform ruffled as she snapped straight at Chrom.

"I will lead the second team of knights, milord. We shouldn't expect any trouble from the Plegians on our trip."

"Yes, Regine, but I still want to get to the second palace as fast as possible. I don't want Emm to be near the frontline." Chrom patted down his hair when the wind kicked it up. Regine and Phila left, heading to their respective squads. Regine bumped into me, almost as if she didn't see me.

"Oh I'm sorry. Name's Regine, a pleasure. You're with the Shepherds?" She extended out her hand in greeting.

"Yeah, my name is Trace." Shaking her hand, I looked over at Chrom, who was loading Emmeryn's boxes onto the convoy.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to get my squad ready." When I looked into Regine's eyes, I saw a look of passion in them. She was clearly a woman of action- and most likely a bitch. Seeing that Chrom was finished packing, I went to my carriage- Lissa, Lon'qu and I all share the same part of the convoy- and slid the storage box in. The convoy ride at first was little more than a scenic tour of Ylisse. I realized just what was going to happen when the trail started getting mountainous. The ride quickly got bumpy, which knocked me out of my sleep. The convoy slowed to a stop as two Pegasus knights flew past my carriage. I caught up with Chrom, Robin, the two Falcon Knights, and Emmeryn at the front of the convoy. They were going over the situation.

"There are Plegian soldiers all across the canyon, with Wyvern riders over the ravine. Phila, have your squad protect Emmeryn and the convoy. Regine, I need your team to engage the flyers. The Shepherds will clear a path through the soldiers." Nodding, Regine whipped the reigns of her Falcon, and she shot up into the air. Her five Pegasus knight soldiers followed her, and headed towards the Plegian riders. The Plegian and Ylissean air forces were of the same size, and the wyvern group even had a Wyvern Lord among them, if my eyes are up to snuff. The two forces collided in the closest thing Fire Emblem has to a dogfight. One Plegian's wyvern snapped back and threw the rider off. I cringed as rider and mount fell down the ravine. Two more wyverns met a similar fate as Chrom gave the order to advance on the main enemy force.

"Protect the Exalt, even if it costs you your lives!" Phila pointed towards the force of barbarian soldiers before flying back to guard the exalt. Three axemen moved into range. I sidestepped his attack and slid my blade across his throat. As much as I fancy myself a soldier now, I still cringe from the blood. I also still get pangs of consciousness, too. The second soldier dashed at me, his axe gallantly waving in the air. He was cut down with a volley of javelins before he could cut at me. I parried the third fighter's attack- thankfully, my new blade didn't break this time- and I stabbed the Plegian in the chest. He didn't die though, and he stumbled back. My sword was still in him. He reached down, and pulled it out. It made a sickening slllllurp noise that made my stomach crawl- and I thought I got over my squeamishness. The soldier wielded his axe in one hand and my sword in the other. This guy was badass. Likewise, I drew both my daggers. He swung his axe down from his head, which I evaded. When he swung with the sword, I was forced to block, losing one of my daggers. The Plegian could probably see my fear starting to grow.

"Whassa matter, Ylissean scum? Can't fight anymores?" Another swing from his blade cut my left hand, causing me to drop my other dagger. He slowly advanced at me, causing me to edge closer and closer to the cliff.

"Oh, I's gonna ENJOY killing you!" In a desperate attempt at survival, I raised my fists. Of course, I realized I never trained without a sword, and I have no skill with fisticuffs. Damn. When my heels kicked dirt off the cliff, it slowly dawned on me that I was screwed. My arms were raised in protest, but deep inside, I was accepting my fate. I closed my eyes as the axe raised, and waited for the killing blow. What happened instead was a killing edge. A cavalier in silver-gray and blue armor streaked past, chopping the brute in half with the edge.

"Looks like you needed help, Trace." He raised his helmet's face mask, revealing his brown eyes and medium-length blonde hair. Under the cover was Robin. He reached behind his horse, and pulled out a steel sword.

"Catch." Thankfully, the blade was in its sheathe, so no problems with it cutting me in half. I still fumbled as it flew at me, and I almost dropped it down the ravine. I managed to grip the pommel, though, and attached the sheathe to my belt. Dropping my old sheathe to the ground, I pulled an _AoT_ salute to thank him.

"Danke. Now let's move." I wondered where Robin got the time to reclass. It's not like you can just throw a seal in the air and magically learn how to ride, and fight, on a horse- oh wait. Robin offered a hand to come on his horse, but I prefer fighting on the ground.

Lissa and Lon'qu finally managed to catch up with me and Robin. With a quick staff charge, my left arm healed. As I drew my new blade, the four of us continued on to meet up with the rest of the Shepherds. The rest of the Plegians were waiting for us to move within range. We were about to do so, but a Pegasus came crashing down in front of us. The rider was knocked on the ground. Just as one crash landed, another came and landed with more grace and less crashing. Removing her helmet, the one rider dashed to the crashed ally. Her long red hair fell down past her shoulders. The soldier picked up the wounded fighter, who appeared to be a generic Pegasus knight. A third rider, this time on a Falcon, landed near us.

"Bring her here. Gods, is that… Cordelia? What happened to the border?" Phila lowered her lance as her Falcon dropped her wings in unison.

"Captain Phila! The border has fallen, and Plegians are half a day's march away!" Cordelia loaded the wounded Pegasus knight onto Phila's Falcon.

"Alright, Cordelia. Group up with Regine and help her with the wyverns." Phila flew back to the convoy as Cordelia got on her Pegasus and went to regroup. A fourth Pegasus, with Chrom riding on the back, rushed forward. This was the extremely subtle order to advance. This drew the Plegian leader, a wyvern rider, over to us. Chrom drew the leader away from the rest of the Shepherds, allowing us to engage on our own. Three Plegian fighters came up to us. Lon'qu dashed past them, cutting one down in the process. With another stab, Lon'qu felled the second. Robin impaled the final enemy on his lance, then pulled out his Killing Edge and chopped him down. As Chrom defeated the leader in the distance, the last of the Shepherds finished off the remaining Plegians. At last, we regrouped with Emmeryn at the convoy. I was busy drinking water and resting near the front of the convoy when I could hear Chrom and Emmeryn.

"I must return to Ylisstol. People will panic, riot even, if they find out I am gone when this news comes to light."

"Your highness, doing that will only get you killed. Comforting our people will only cost you your life, and _then_ the people will panic!" Regine's voice started to crack, making her statement feel less and less compelling.

"Emm! You can't do this. I need you- _we_ need you! Ylisse will be happier knowing you're alive, and that's enough." Chrom's arm tensed up, gripping Falchion's hilt. For a second, I almost thought he was going to draw iron on his own sister.

"Chrom, take this and head to Ferox. The Fire Emblem will be safer there. My decision is final; I must stand by my people during this." Emmeryn handed over the golden shield to Chrom.

"Milord, we're coming with you. We'll keep you safe." Regine managed to control her voice this time, and actually managed to maintain her authority.

"That is fine. Safe travels, Chrom. Take refuge in Ferox. You will know when to move out to Plegia. This isn't goodbye." Emmeryn immediately turned around and started heading back. Chrom tried to follow her, but stopped when he realized it was her final decision.

* * *

The rest of the convoy ride was filled with solemn quietness. Everyone in the convoy stuck their heads down in sorrow. I could hear Lissa's quiet sobbing in my carriage, and I had no idea what to do. I've never really comforted someone like this before.

"This isn't fair. This… isn't fair…" This probably isn't going to work, but I put my hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw that it was me. It was weird seeing how her whole demeanor has changed like this. I tried my best to comfort her.

"Hey, Emm's going to be alright. She has Phila and Regine to protect her. C'mon, if you're not happy, nobody here is. She'll be fine." It's even harder comforting someone when you know, deep down, you are lying. I could hear her breathing go back to normal, so I could tell I was doing a decent job.

"Hey, if you're happy, even Lon'qu can smile! Probably… Alright, not Lon'qu, but still; you're the shining beacon of hope for us." I have no idea where I got that poetic speech, but there you go. Lon'qu sighed as Lissa finally managed to perk up. She wiped her face with her sleeve and got up. I went to my storage box, and pulled out my jacket.

"If you want this, you can have it for now. It's going to get cold when we reach Ferox." She took the red jacket, and I secretly hoped she would return it later. I didn't want to freeze either when we reached Ferox. Deciding that it was late enough now, I called it a day and went to sleep. I could see Lissa doing the same, slipping on the jacket that was far too large for her. It almost looked like Morgan with Robin's jacket. I could feel the brisk air of Regna Ferox start to flow as I fell asleep.

Robin pulled his horse to a stop as he reached the area where the convoy will stop. With a tight snap on his reigns, the horse pulled to a stop. Odessa hopped off the back by herself, without waiting for her brother.

"Robin, have you even named your horse yet?"

"No, not really. I haven't really thought about that." Robin pulled his helmet off, leaving his hair messy and unkempt.

"What idea do you have for a name, Odessa? It's a girl, by the way." Robin slipped down off the horse. He wasn't used to the clanking noise his new armor made when moving around.

"Hmm… how about Astrid? That's a good name."

"That's actually a pretty good name. Well, I need to go tell Chrom that we can park the convoy here. Be right back." As he said that, Robin got back on his horse, and his mount galloped off, heading back down the road.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**School is good so far- for school anyways. This is the second year in a row that I got one of the best science teachers in the school.**

**Anyway, back to the story. Why did I add Regine?**

**Well, I always wanted to recruit Phila in Awakening. I also always thought Phila would have a second-in-command in the Pegasus Knights- someone Cordelia might replace in the future. Since Phila dies ingame, her partner Regine opens up multiple possibilities- but which course of events will happen? I don't know, you'll have to wait and see.**

**If Phila lives, I'm TOTALLY doing PhilaXFrederick. Just think about it.**

**I just realized I never wrote MY barracks entry.**

**Trace**

**A swordsman with a past he doesn't want to share. He is energetic, optimistic, and light-hearted, yet scatterbrained and easy to distract. He has a tendency to rush with everything he does. The one with the largest non-alcoholic thirst. Born during the Aries zodiac.**

**Also, Episode 21 of Attack on Titan. Damn...**

**Chapter 10 will probably be either fluffy or action-y, depending.**


	10. Chapter 10- Dark News, Grim Discoveries

**Alright, here is the tenth chapter. Wow, it's hard to think that we've gotten so far.**

**Just remember that I don't own Fire Emblem or any series mentioned in this work of fiction, and enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 10

Dark News, Grim Discoveries

"Dark news, I'm afraid. Ylisstol… has fallen."

"What? Gods…" Chrom recoiled back at Khan Basilio's dark recon report. Lissa, without a word, started to faint and fell to the ground. Robin, in his cavalier's armor, caught her and held her upright.

"The Plegian force, led by Gangrel himself, smashed past the Ylisstol guard and ran off with Emmeryn and a wounded falcon knight, most likely a leader of some sort. Another falcon knight was confirmed to be absent in the aftermath, but was seen in the fight."

"Shepherds! We're marching to Plegia!" Chrom turned around and started to storm off, but was stopped by a gauntleted hand.

"Chrom, we shouldn't…" Robin was interrupted by the slamming of thick, wooden doors.

"Chrom? Robin? Lissa? What's… hah… what's going on? Am I… hah… am I late?" Everyone was staring at me with the 'now isn't the time' look. It finally sank in when I saw Chrom's anger and Lissa's puffy, red, wet eyes.

"Trace, pack up and get on the convoy. Robin, start working on our plans. We're moving out within the hour." I only nodded and ran off. It looks like we're going off to war.

* * *

"There you go, Lissa. All of your stuff is loaded on the convoy. But… why did you bring so little?" I reached over and picked up my steel sword, sheathed and harmless. I prefer that to having it thrown around, with its pointy tip flying dangerously close to my face.

"Well, it's just that…" Gods, she's never been this quiet before. And sad. I grabbed her shoulder, firmly but still fairly lightly, after clipping my sheathe onto my belt. My steel sword wobbled and clapped against my side from the sudden movement.

"Look, if this is about Emm, you just need to believe that it will be fine. We'll go to Plegia, save her, and be back before you know it." She looked at me, her eyes still puffy and red.

"You're not scared? At all?" I'm not sure if this massive segment of eye contact is making her uncomfortable, because it certainly is disconcerting me.

"Of course I'm scared, I always am. But I know that we can do this. I can… promise- I can promise that." What's that old saying? Never make a girl a promise you can't fulfill? Fuck that phrase. "I'm not asking for you to run around happily like nothing's going on. But just see the optimistic side of things, okay?"

"Alright!"

"See? It will all be just fine. Even Lon'qu might be happy! Or… or not. Yeah, I'm going with 'probably not'." Seriously, I'm not sure why Lon'qu hasn't grown a depression beard by now. Or why anyone here has grown a beard. There is a disturbing lack of facial hair in Fire Emblem. Maybe it's taboo or something; I should keep that in mind and shave often.

"You're right. Emm is going to be fine." I lifted Lissa up onto the convoy, and lowered my hand to stroke the beard I don't have. It feels good to make the others happy; there's time for moping around _after_ Emmeryn dies.

"Exactly."

_Trace and Lissa have received support rank B._

* * *

Many Years Later, Northern Ylisse

"Temple of Discovery"

"Morgan, are you sure this is the place? It's just a stupid, abandoned cathedral. Why are we leaving the camp for _this_?" Maine whipped his reigns against the side of his horse's neck, which has become his unorthodox, personalized way to say 'stop'. Every rider had his or her own way to communicate with their mount, and some simply involved more pain than others.

"This is the right building, the old 'Temple of Discovery'. They said it holds the secrets of the Risen." Morgan, one of the less experienced riders, dug her heel into the horse's side. The horse's clopping walk stopped in front of the massive, faded blue doors of the temple.

"Well, we should go inside, no?" A third rider, wearing dark blue cavalry armor adorned with fading teal stripes, stopped alongside the other two.

"Yeah, Cielo. I'll handle this." Maine stepped off of his horse. Despite not wearing the oversized shoulder guards of most knights, his armor still clinked as it hit the ground. Pulling an iron axe from his right hip, Maine dug the blade into the thick, wooden doors. As he pulled the axe out, the doors slid open, and a tidal wave of dust flew out. Maine coughed uncontrollably as he wiped it off of his face and armor.

"Oh, I knew this would happen. Take these." Morgan, already off her horse, reached into a pouch of her jacket and pulled out three differently colored cloths. Maine, after cleaning his face, took the red one and realized it was a bandanna. He slipped it on his face as the blue cavalier took a matching indigo cloth. Morgan pulled on the last cloth, a bright yellow. "I specifically chose different colors; if we get separated, remember who wears what color."

"Okay, Morgan. Let's get this done so we can return to the camp." Cielo ran a gauntleted hand through his shiny brown hair, which was slicked back behind his ears. He reached to his horse, and unclipped a metal lantern. Lighting it and attaching it to a hook on his leg, Cielo slipped inside the dark building. Followed by the two others, the thick doors slowly shut behind them. The walls were adorned from top to bottom in strange carvings none of the three could recognize.

"This… this doesn't look like a shrine to Naga. But why is it so…" Maine was cut off by a thumping sound down the hall.

"Stay close to me. It's way too dark in here." Cielo drew his iron sword- he left his steel lance outside- and moved in the direction of the crash noise. Morgan drew her steel sword and muttered an incantation to herself. After snapping her fingers, a small ball of thunder magic appeared and hovered over her hand, providing extra light. When the trio continued down the hall, they came up across a corner. Maine was the first to turn the corner. What he saw, even in the cloak of darkness, caused him to drop his axe to the ground.

"What in the gods' names are those?" Morgan's magic light flickered and disappeared from being startled by Maine's voice. The only light illuminating the three's colored bandanas was the lantern freely swinging at Cielo's hip. Turning the corner revealed a massive room, clearly meant as an immense staging room. Swirling clouds of dark purple gas skimmed across the floor, having a slight glow to them despite having no lights in the room. All of the plumes led to one altar on the other side of the room. The room, save the three figures at the entrance and the three at the altar, was completely empty of life. Benches lined in rows filled the room, but they were left lifeless and empty from generations of abandonment.

The three figures at the other side of the room turned around to find out what just disturbed the eerie quiet of the room. A faint light from the altar made the three bodies glow with an outline. Maine could tell that two wore the garb of swordsmasters; the third appeared to be large in build, with a large-handled weapon slung over his back. The swordsmaster in the middle looked to his left and right, scanning his two compatriots. Turning his face towards the altar, he placed his hands over the small fire, which was the cause of the faint light. Engulfed by a rapidly growing purple flame, the swordsman disappeared into thin air. As he left the room, it quickly lit up. Small purple fires, bright yet miniscule compared to the altar's growing flame, popped up across the room. The room was cloaked in an even purple glow, revealing the features of all five bodies in the room.

"Those are… deadlords… aren't they?" Morgan's pupils dilated in fear at the sight of the two warriors. The two bodies at the other side had worn, scarred, and ash-gray faces which contrasted their glowing red eyes.

"Yep. Tigris and Simia, if I recall correctly." Cielo smothered the fire in his lantern, unhooked the iron frame, and laid it aside. This allowed him to properly grip his sword with both hands.

"Must… defend…" The two inhuman creatures walked forward, drawing their blades and mumbling in unison. Their voices were not distinctly feminine or masculine, instead an unnerving ensemble of demonic voices speaking at once.

"Something tells me it's not a good idea to fight them." Cielo was unusually calm, despite his claim.

"Well, we're going to have to anyway." Morgan readied her blade as the Deadlords continued advancing. "Maine, go for Tigris, the axe man. Cielo, we can try to fight Simia together."

Cielo and Morgan confronted the feminine zombie. Her blade sparkled gold in the purple lighting. Morgan was faster and more skilled when fighting on her own two feet than her cavalry partner, but couldn't match up to the undead myrmidon. The two simply decided it was better to take the initiative and strike first, hopefully injuring or slowing the enemy down before she could counterattack. That plan failed quickly. Cielo, with his superior height and longer blade, lunged at the myrmidon, though it was swiftly dodged. Dashing towards the Deadlord, Morgan fell to her knees and slid towards her. While she swung wildly in the desperate attempt to score at least one vital hit, her blade didn't connect. The Deadlord Simia, with a blade far too large to normally use with such speed, swung down and sliced Morgan's upper torso open. Morgan simply slid past limply and collided into one of the bench rows. Falling over onto the floor, Morgan weakly wiped blood off her chin. Her jacket and shirt were sliced open in a grisly wound, which stained the parts of the clothes that weren't cut. Simia slowly paced over to the wounded tactician, a fake grin plastered on the zombie's face.

"Foolishness… was your downfall." The swordsmaster placed the blade tightly on Morgan's neck, but did not deliver the killing blow. It was almost as if the deadlord had a sadistic enjoyment of what was going on.

"It's yours, too, pal!" The Deadlord looked behind her and saw the cavalier rushing forward. A swing of her massive blade managed to stop the advancing soldier. The cut ripped the iron blade's tip off. The next two swipes had a similar effect, rendering Cielo's blade to nothing more than a hilt. The fourth swipe cut across his stomach, causing him to reel over. The fifth sliced across his chest, in a similar fashion to Morgan's wound, causing him to recoil back and fall to the ground. The sadistic grin on Simia's face returned, and it started to seem true that the zombie was actually feeling pleasure from the pain she was causing. She towered over the wounded soldier, again restraining her blade to cause more pain.

"You can't go on!" Morgan coughed up blood as she saw a hand axe fly across the room, which finally managed to register the first hit on the undead swordswoman. She saw the Deadlord turn around to face Maine, who was readying another throwing axe. That's also when she saw Tigris' axe slice open Maine's armor, knocking him to the ground. Before she could say anything, a dark brown vial was shoved into Morgan's mouth, and she could taste a foul, bitter fluid as she was forced to chug it down. Looking up, it was the third fighter from the altar above her, who was supposed to have disappeared. Grabbing Morgan by the collar, the male swordsmaster dragged her over to the altar. His face was covered by a full-face mask, but his actions had a delay and weakness to them, and felt human.

Without any resistance from the wounded girl, the swordsmaster placed her two hands on the altar fire. Morgan winced, feeling the burning of her flesh, but remained speechless. She coughed up more blood, but the swordsman paid no mind to it. A strangely painless fire engulfed around Morgan. Before the fire reached her head, the swordsman spoke.

"You won't remember a thing." His voice was raspy and dry, and was also muted by his mask. As the fire engulfed Morgan, the flame spread to the masked swordsman, and both disappeared.

Morgan opened her eyes, but all she could see was black. There was no difference in what she could see if she kept her eyes closed or open. She felt a burning sensation in her chest, and she raised her hand to feel a large, open wound. Although she thought she would remember why such a grievous wound would be inflicted upon her, all her attempts to remember were thwarted. She just couldn't remember why her chest was sliced open. The more she thought or tried to think, the brighter the far away light became. It was too small to be noticed at first, but was growing. As the bright light grew to overcome everything in her vision, Morgan's mind was immediately filled with memories of two types. One was an extensive list of memories of a man, blonde haired, with a jacket not so different from hers. The second was a flash of a mental image; this picture was of a man with his face hidden behind a mask.

Shortly after everything in her vision became white, Morgan could feel a sensation of falling.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: DOUBLE DIGITS, BITCH.**

**Man, 10 chapters. It's hard to believe I just started writing only about 40 days ago, and we're here already.**

**I realized that I made promises for more future action scenes back during the first few chapters, and never acted on them. So, I decided to make this chapter focus on the future children, as well as the newest; Cielo. Who is he? A cavalier. Duh. Who's child is he? Idunno. We'll have to see.**

**Why fight the Deadlords? Because, they hold a bit more punch than just a horde of Risen, no? Plus, I'd rather have one small, personal fight than just an all out chopfest against dozens of Risen. It's just more interesting.**

**The next chapter will either be more future children getting their asses kicked, or the beginnings of the war with Plegia.**

**See you next time!**

**P.S. Some people have asked me why I killed Gaius. There's a reason behind that.**

**During my first (ever) playthrough of Awakening, back when I hadn't played Fire Emblem in about five+ years, I thought Gaius was an enemy and wrecked him. Even in most playthroughs now, I don't use Gaius that much. I usually reclass Lon'qu to thief at first, then go to Assassin and then Swordsmaster. So there's why I killed Gaius (plus he stole my sweetroll).**


	11. Chapter 11- To You, One 2000 Years

**More humor in this chapter, possible plot development as well.**

**I'm beating a dead horse with this, but I don't own Fire Emblem.**

**Enjoy.**

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Chapter 11

To You, One 2000 Years

Lie down. Try not to sweat. Sweat. A lot.

…

PLEGIA IN A NUTSHELL, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

I mean, I've only spent about two hours in this gods-forsaken country, and I don't need to be called Springheeled Jack to leap to the conclusion that nothing good will come out of this. I haven't done anything but lay around in the convoy, but I've been sweating, coughing, and sniffling nonstop since we've gotten here. I rubbed my nose and started to feel the congestion. Yep, I was getting sick. I've gotten lots of small colds in my time; things like these are common but rarely more than an inconvenience. My legs shaky from the heat, I managed to dismount my carriage and find the storage section of the convoy. There, I found Cordelia assembling and sorting vulneraries, loading them into multiple small boxes.

Oh gods, she's attractive. In my first ever playthrough, I was already married to Sumia, and I felt stupid when Cordelia showed up- especially since I was forced to have a Galeforce-less, Sully-mothered Lucina later on.

"Oh, hello. You're the Pegasus knight from before? I don't think we've met yet."

"Yes, I'm Cordelia. And you are?"

"Trace, a pleasure. But… just what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorting medicine. If we're going to war like this, we need to be organized." Wow, only a few days in service of the Shepherds and she's already beaten me in work ethic.

"Oh, if you are, do you *sniffle*… have anything for my sniffles?"

"Let me see… here. Take this." She tossed the small vial at me. Of course, whether it is sword or bottle, I fumbled the catch, and nearly dropped it off the moving convoy. She chuckled to herself as I looked at the bottle. It had no markings on it, besides one small cloth on it labeled "Chills". I uncorked it, and had a nice whiff of the liquid. It smelled foul, and had a dark brown color. Ew.

"Ugh… smells horrible… are there any side effects?"

"Yeah. Nausea, cramps, and… loose stool. That should be about it, but it does wonders for colds."

"Uh, no. I'll take a pas- hah… hei… HEICHOU! Oof, I'll just wait my cold out. I'll take a pass. Wait a second, how do you remember those effects of the top of your head like that?" I wiped the snot off with my short sleeve.

"I've used this many times. It works well, are you sure you don't want any?"

"I'll be fine. I'll just- hah… hei… HEICHOU! I'll just go."

"Suit yourself, I need to keep working." She let out a small shrug, and turned back around to her boxes before I could say anything. I simply sniffled again, wiped more snot off on the other sleeve, and hopped off the carriage without a word.

_Trace and Cordelia have received support rank C._

Back on my carriage, Lon'qu was standing stoically, looking out onto the expanse of desert. Lissa was lying on a mat made of tenting supplies, reading a small book.

"Where did you get that, Lissa?" Not looking over her book, she pointed over towards a small pile, covered in a dark green tarp with the exalted emblem design on it. Revealing the books under it, I took a stack of six and flipped through, looking at the titles.

_Ribald Tales of the Faith War_

I already read that one. It was terrible.

_A Dim Light in the Darkness of Despair_

_To You, One 2000 Years From the Future_

_A Simpleton's Guide to Plegia_

_How to Train Your War Wyvern_

_The Radiant Hero_

In the end, I went with the second. Something about it piqued my interest. It had a solid red leather binding. There were no words on the outside, other than the etched in title. I flipped open the book and looked at the first page. Jaw dropping in three… two… now.

_To You, One 2000 Years From the Future_

_A Message to Those From Afar_

_By Trace E. Zorah_

Well what do you know? I'm a writer during this time. My last name is also Zorah, apparently. I wonder what I chose for my middle name. I flip to the next page, and it dawns on me that I mustn't have been a good writer. Every page, save the title, is blank. I must have been one of those minimalist writers.

"Did you hear that?" Lon'qu perked up, his right hand clenching the hilt of his Killing Edge.

"Muh?" Lissa's head jumped up from her head in unison with mine. "Hear what?" That's when we heard the screeches. I could hear Robin yelling from behind us.

"Wyverns, from the north! Shepherds, everyone to arms!"

"Wait, which way is north?" Lon'qu already had his blade out, while I was fumbling while trying to draw mine. Nobody answered me, so I had to wait until I could see the riders coming in. From what I could tell, there were more than ten of them in formation. It was difficult to tell, but it didn't seem like they were heading towards my carriage. They were slowly getting closer, but they were still a distance away. The Shepherds all jumped off the convoy and met together. Robin carried a large duffel bag, and Cordelia quickly joined in to help him carry it. Robin, with no sense of urgency, laid the bag down on the sand. Untying the rope holding the bag together, Robin reached inside and pulled out a handful of three ebony blades. With the help of Cordelia, he started handing them out to the Shepherds; even Ricken got one. When I received my blade from Cordelia, I looked at the jagged black blade. It was a wyrmslayer. Chrom, of course, didn't need one because he has the plot sword, the plot armor, and the plot importance because he's a spoiled br- erm, I meant- irreplaceable plot member. Anywho, the wyverns were closing in, and the mages of the Shepherds were preparing their tomes.

"Oh, you better BELIEVE that's a crit!" Instead of waiting for the wyverns to close distance, I did the sensible thing and chucked my wyrmslayer at one of the riders. The dark blade soared through the air quite well- I don't fancy myself a pitcher. In an attempt to dodge an Elwind blast from Ricken, a wyvern rider flew straight into my flying blade. The wyvern simply collapsed on itself and fell into the sand. The rider flew off in some obscure direction. "I… I did that? Niiice." I made a small fist-pump towards Robin, who simply shook his head and probably wondered what he was going to do with me.

"Look out!" Wait, was that Sumia yelling at me?

"Huh?" I was wondering what she was yelling about, but that's when it hit me. The throwing axe, that is.

"Oof! Da-mn, they got me… guess I'm not seeing the end to this story…" I could hear the rest of the Shepherds rushing over to me, but everything was growing dark and quiet. I could feel the axe break through each layer of my armor. I guess Miracle didn't activate this time…

* * *

"Current" Time, Plegia Castle

"What are you doing, mule-headed eyesore? GUARDS! Kill this worm before he leaves his excrement on the furniture!" Gangrel knew that all he needed to do was occupy this intruder for a few more seconds, and then the guards can deal with the problem. Maybe he could even lend his Levin Sword to help them, but that probably wasn't necessary. It's not like his guards are expendable or anything like that.

"An empty threat uttered from an empty man. Fitting." The intruder's dark attire made it almost appear as if he was covered in a shroud, an aura of darkness. A gleaming silver blade was visible behind his back.

"Hah! I know you, worm! I knew your mother too, but that's a different story! You're nothing without me! NOTHING!" Gangrel slowly paced his way back to his desk, keeping his eyes locked on the intruder. Eventually, he got close enough to grip the hilt of his magical sword.

"The only one who is nothing is you. You are nothing and have nothing." While the Mad King was getting rowdy, the intruder was very calm and collected.

"Oh, that's no way to treat your daddy, is it? Now die! DIE NOW!" The king dashed at the shadowy figure, his blade lighting up with thunder magic.

"Everyone dies someday." The intruder drew the blade out, slowly as if to taunt. The guards only entered late enough to see the end of what had happened.

* * *

Many years later, Northern Ylisse

"Temple of Discovery"

"These are their horses alright."

"Ugh, I can't believe you actually dragged me along for this." The one rider at the back simply stared at the two mercenaries, her face blank and her mouth closed.

"Do you EVER talk? Gawds, it's just so freaky! Just talk for once." Without responding, the third rider simply got off her horse, and pulled out her staff.

"C'mon, let's go. They should still be inside." The first mercenary, and the only male of the group, motioned towards the door as he drew his killing edge.

* * *

"Current" Time, Plegia

"Wake up." It was a swift kick from some blurred figure that made my eyes open.

"Ow, my face. What the hell do you want? And where am I?" I felt the side of my face. I think he ripped my skin; I can feel the blood trickling down. I realized it was Lon'qu who had awakened me.

"You're in hell. You died, and you're stuck here. Forever." When did Robin get here?

"So, we're in Plegia?"

"Yes. You fell asleep after sneezing and whining about our medicine for about an hour. You also nearly had a heart attack when you looked at this blank book." Robin pulled out that red leather book from before, and tossed it onto my lap. This time, however, there was nothing etched onto the cover. I flipped open to the first page, and there was nothing. Was all that foreshadowing and plot development just a dream?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I was spending a lot of time this week helping a fellow fanfiction author with an Attack on Titan fanfic- one where my OC got in- so I didn't have as much time to work on SoaSI. Anywho, I actually don't have much to comment on right now. So, here are more of my quotes and catchphrases.**

**Dual Support**

**"Uh, you first."**

**"Hold the line."**

**"FINISH HIM!"**

**"Avengers, assemble!"**

**"Try not to suck."**

**"You do the work."**

**Dual Strike**

**"You're too slow!"**

**"Hurry up already!"**

**"Kill-steal!"**

**"Lemme finish that for ya."**

**"Am I so forgettable?"**

**"I'm here, too!"**

**Defeated an Enemy**

**"I... I did that? Nice."**

**"FATALITY!"**

**"The obvious outcome."**

**"XP time."**

**"Flawless victory."**

**Also, the worst part about making OCs for Awakening is that you have to make 2 for each; one for the person, one for the future child. I actually have way more OCs than initially expected because of the children characters.**


	12. Chapter 12- Who Dares Loses

**This took awhile, mostly because I had a stressful week and scrapped the first attempt for this chapter.**

**This is easily the longest chapter so far.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 12

Who Dares Loses

Hold up, something isn't right here. This looks exactly like the place where you… it is. This is where you recruit Gregor and Nowi. This place should be crawling with those religious zealots, but it's empty. Even the towns are gone; it's just one big, empty sandtrap.

"Something wrong, Trace?" I was in the head car of the carriage, with Chrom and Robin. I was initially listening over their talk over the tactics we were going to use for the big saving moment. I eventually grew bored when they moved on from the tactics of the main force- my group- and went on to other parts of the plan, like dividing up supplies. I was simply looking around, mostly at the giant skeletons in the desert when Chrom actually paid attention to me.

"Huh?" Note to self: don't zone out in the presence of the commanding officer.

"You're twitching, and you're glancing around like you think Risen are going to jump out."

"Don't jinx us now, Chrom, there's time for the Risen…" WHOOPS! I shouldn't have said that. "… There's _no_ time for the Risen right now."

"He's right. We need to focus on the task at hand. The Risen don't have any hostages right now." Robin piped up from his side of the carriage, further cementing my idea in Chrom's head. Hopefully they didn't notice my slip up and reword my sentence.

"Plus, Chrom, everyone is twitching. This is easily our most important mission so far. I just don't want to ruin this." I looked down at my hand, and flexed all my fingers straight. Chrom was right. I was twitching badly. That happens when I'm stressed and I have nothing to grip or squeeze. It rarely happens now, since I'm always armed, but I wasn't at this time. I put my hands at my hips en lieu of holding a pommel or canteen to keep my hands from twitching.

"Hey, you see that?" I pointed towards the faint group of people I could just barely see. Robin got out of his chair, abandoning his tactics map. He was wearing the shirt he usually wore under his jacket, just with a sleeveless version of his cavalier's armor over it. It still must have been hot as hell for him.

"Yeah, I do. Chrom, we have some fighters over there." The bluenette prince looked over. With a closer inspection, I could see some people with swords quarreling.

"If we're going to help, we should send a small group through the air."

"You're right. Stop the carriage and call over our two Pegasus knights. They'll be the fastest."

"Chrom and Sumia, you'll be together. But who will be with Cordelia? We should always pair up." Robin paced back and forth in front of the Shepherds, scratching his bare chin repeatedly. Everyone was lined up and standing at attention. "Hmm… Trace! You haven't ridden with any of our riders yet, have you?"

"Uh, no?" I shrugged. I never really asked for that, but there's always room for firsts, right?

"It's settled then. You'll ride with Cordelia."

"But… but, I've never done this before! I don't even have my sword!" Robin stared at me for a second and unclipped the sheathe at his side.

"Well, here you go! There's always room for a first experience." He shoved the sword into my hands and patted me on the shoulder. I grumbled and attached the sword at my side. I turned around and started heading towards Cordelia's Pegasus, but another pat on my shoulder stopped me. Robin shoved a small wooden rod in my hands. Upon closer inspection, it was a miniature lance.

"Robin, do you see a problem with this… No?"

"No, I don't."

"This is a lance."

"So?"

"I don't use lances."

"Well learn to. You can't fight with a sword while in the air. Throw it at them for all I care. Now go, the fights probably over by now." I grumbled again and finished heading towards Cordelia. She was already mounted and armed, waiting for me. She let out a hand to help me up, and I accepted.

"Wait wait wait… Hold up for just ONE second. This has no safety harnesses?" Cordelia stared at me for a moment. She was probably wondering just what I was talking about.

"No. There never have been, never will."

"Oh, that's comforting." A flying beast with no safety belt. I'm probably going to get hit with wind magic and get knocked off. Then I'm going to die. OH SWEET JESUS, SHE JUST GOT OFF THE GROUND I'M GOING TO DIE…

You want to know why I'm going to die? You really do?

Welcome to bathophobia.

Welcome to the fear of falling.

It's not entirely _just_ the fear of heights. I love airplanes and roller coasters. It's just that I have a hyperactive imagination, and it's just too easy to think up a situation in my mind where I'm accidentally pushed, the guard rail gives in, and I fall to my death during a trip to the tallest building in the world. Now just take that, and put it in this situation; there are no guard rails at all, and I don't even need someone to nudge me before I fall to the cold, hard ground. Or warm, grainy sand. Whatever. Just one shift of my weight could probably send me to my death. I'd be fine with a wyvern right now; they're bigger and have more width to them. I'd probably have to topple over to fall off of one. But these Pegasi are just too thin. No wonder only women could become riders.

"You look green. Are you sure you don't want that medicine? Now might be your last chance." Really, Cordelia? I'm about to succumb to a panic attack- which I've gladly never had in years- and you want to shove that mediocre medicine down my throat?

"N-no… N-n-now isn't the time, anyway."

"Fine. I see four myrmidons and three mages fighting… one swordfighter and what looks like a girl. How's your throwing arm?"

"Mediocre." She's already better than me at everything, might as well tell the truth.

"Alright, you see that mage there? It's the one on the left, closest to the two they're fighting. Try and hit that one." She pointed in that direction, but it didn't help that much. I finally saw which one she was talking about. Why is it that enemies all wear the same uniform, unlike us? It makes it that much harder. Regardless, I took the lance, aimed, and tossed it with as much force I could muster. It was a wonder I could even try to do so without locking up in fear that I would fall off when I threw it. The lance soared through the air, but it was easily apparent that it was falling too fast. It jabbed the mage in the foot, opening up an attack for the swordsman on the ground. Bonus points for an assist? I was about to start congratulating myself for actually hitting when Sumia's Pegasus dashed by us, Chrom riding shotgun.

"Alright, I'm setting down. Ready?"

"As I'll ever-" I think I just threw up in my mouth. "-as I'll ever be." Just as I finished the sentence, Cordelia made some maneuver which was the combination of a straight drop and a very weak landing. I'm pretty sure I did just throw up. Before the Pegasus landed and we all ended up a skid mark on the sand, its wings flew outwards and let us lightly hit the ground. I quickly got off the Pegasus like my life depended on it- and in my mind, it did. My knees went weak when I hit the ground and I nearly collapsed. Chrom must have dashed over to me, because he arrived just in time to pull me up. My hero. The sword fighter- who I quickly recognized as Gregor- saw us and pushed the small girl towards us for a head start. He started running, too. Eventually, they met up with us as the four myrmidons and one of the mages gave chase. The remaining mage was waiting behind the lines. The first myrmidon made the mistake of attacking me. I parried and jabbed Robin's borrowed blade into his neck. Chrom slashed upwards and knocked the fighter away, even though he was clearly dead. The next two myrmidons paired up.

"Uh, you first." I looked at Chrom, and gave him a firm pat on the back, pushing him forward. I was going to do the logical thing and wait there while- erm- fight the other myrmidon while his friends are occupied. I didn't even need to do much. The third myrmidon charged right at me, similar to the way Chrom dived headfirst into the pair of swordfighters he was engaging. I parried his attack and swept at him, but he sidestepped and attacked again. He missed. My borrowed sword cleaved his torso, but I was knocked back before I could deal the finishing blow. The second mage had blown his wind magic at me. It didn't even hurt me. DO YOU EVEN THINK I CAN FEEL THAT WEAK SHIT?

But the sword in my gut did hurt. The damn myrmidon decided to make use of my mental taunting to stab me. I jabbed him in the leg and caused him to topple over. To make us even, I plunged my sword into his chest, finishing him. I was knocked down again from the mage. While I was down on the ground, I could see that Chrom was still fighting the last myrmidon. They were in a deadlock when Cordelia swooped down and impaled the myrmidon as she flew by. Sumia did the same for the mage who kept knocking me down. Chrom and I moved forward to the last enemy; a sorcerer with some type of dark magic tome. Gregor followed behind us.

"Ha ha! You dare defy Grima, god of annihilation? Prepare to taste Grima's wrath!" The sorcerer began blindly firing off magic in our direction. It was easy to dodge, yet one blast hit Gregor and knocked him to the ground. I was in range when Chrom motioned for me to attack.

"Give us the freedom of death!" I set the blade horizontally and lunged forward at the sorcerer. The blade cut straight through him. I expected my critical to kill him, but I could feel the awkwardness in the air when I realized he was still alive. And he was pissed. I could see him ready his tome, but it was another blade in his back that stopped him. Thanks, Gregor.

"Thanks for the help, _Chrom_. Good to know you'll have my back."

Sumia and Cordelia, noticing we were finished, both landed down near us. Gregor and Nowi both met up with us.

"Many thanks for help. Sometimes too much for one man, ey?"

"Yeah, you're welcome." I was leaning on Cordelia's Pegasus, wiping the blood off my wound. "I don't think we caught your name."

"I'm Nowi!" The spritely young girl in an overly mature garb finally piped up and said something.

"I am Gregor."

"So, Gregor, why are you helping this girl?" Chrom stepped in, not even introducing himself.

"Gregor is protecting girl. Many dangerous people here, no?" It doesn't really sound like this conversation is getting anywhere, so it's time to activate my Gary Stu powers and get him to join us.

"Are you a mercenary, Gregor? You sure look like one."

"Yes, Gregor just finished killing former employer. But is very reliable, as long as you try not to harm little girl." Chrom did honestly look interested.

"A sellsword, huh? And you obviously aren't siding with the Plegians… Would you care to join us?"

"A swell sword? Yes. Gregor is on job."

"Well, that's all done. We need to get the convoy going." I reluctantly got back on Cordelia's Pegasus, not waiting for Chrom to agree.

"Wait, how will you two make it to the convoy?" Chrom stopped when he got on Sumia's Pegasus.

"Don't worry, I got this!" Nowi brought out a small stone and transformed into her dragon form. Gregor got on, and they flew away.

"Now I've seen everything." Cordelia kept staring at the Manakete.

"Have you seen a man eat his own head?"

"What? No!" The stare Cordelia was giving me was priceless.

"Then you haven't seen everything."

* * *

"Oh hey, Robin, sorry I lost your lance. And here's your sword back." I tried handing his steel sword to him, but he pushed it back to me.

"That's fine, but you can keep that steel crap. I got one of these." Robin pulled out a killing edge from his side with great gusto. What an asshole.

"Ooh, ooh, give me that! I want that!" I must have sounded like a small child asking for candy. Robin must have enjoyed making me beg.

"Alright, sure. I'll give it to you- as long as you don't break formation."

I snapped another _Attack on Titan_ salute- and none of the Shepherds even know where it's from- and nod my head. "I agree. Just give me the killing edge." The only thing different about my salute this time? My left hand's fingers, which were behind my back, were crossed. I broke out of the salute, grabbed the killing edge, and dropped his steel sword were I stood. I ran off immediately when he stooped down to pick it up.

"Trace!" My heart stopped when he called me. Did he notice the crossed fingers? He couldn't have. "You should meet up with the Shepherds up ahead. We're ready to start the battle."

"Is everyone ready? We're ending this today, here and now. Plegia will not take Emmeryn from us!" Chrom drew Falchion high into the air, and pointed forward towards the Plegian force in front of us. We began charging into a wall of Plegian lance soldiers. Most were cut down with a combination of magic and arrows from our ranged fighters. One soldier managed to stab at me and connect a hit, but Lissa was following me. The cleric went to work immediately, and healed me so I could slice- and this time, kill- the soldier. This killing edge works wonders. I love it. I felt like bending down and kissing my awesome new blade- which I'm never giving back to Robin, ever- but wyvern riders starting moving in on us. One rider tried throwing his axe at me before Chrom sliced him down with Falchion. I dodged it with ease, because of that strange dream I had before. It wasn't exactly a premonition like Robin's, but hey, it's good enough for a supporting character, right? One wyvern rider made it past our wave of magic attacks and made its way to me. His axe missed.

"Apocalypse… any time now!" I jumped up- which honestly isn't that high up- and sliced downwards as I fell. The wyvern went out of control and hit the ground. We advanced forward, with Chrom and Robin doing most of the work, when we reached the final advance to the Plegian castle.

"Chrom, I see a Plegian insubordinate over there. It looks like she doesn't want to fight. Talk to her." I pointed over to Tharja, who was staring at me and snickering. She stopped snickering and got serious when Chrom started heading over.

"Trace, get on. We're attacking the Plegian general." Robin's horse stood next to me, and I climbed up onto her. "Don't worry, Astrid doesn't hate strangers." We dashed past the Plegian forces and came up across the general himself.

"You'll never save your _precious_ Exalt, scum!" I tightened the grip on my sword, but a quick realization dawned on me. I couldn't even scratch that one Feroxi knight before. This is an experienced General with even more armor and defense. Robin was the first to attack him. One strike hit. Nothing. I went next. Nothing. We kept alternating hits in a desperate attempt to deal some damage, but there was nothing.

"Guess who just won?" Fire magic soared at the general, knocking him flat onto his back. I looked behind me, and a dark, black and purple wearing figure on horseback was behind me. I looked at her red tome and blonde hair. When did Odessa promote to a Dark Knight?

"Sorry to keep you two waiting. Ready to end this?"

"Yes, their wyvern riders are down. Signal the Pegasus knights."

"Your Grace!" The two Falcon Knights spoke in unison as they lead their fellow Pegasus Knights towards the courtyard. Chrom, Robin, and Frederick were to my left, with Lissa to my right. We were all waiting with tension as the rescue began.

"Phila! Regine! I'm glad to see you're safe, but-"

"Khan Basilio's men freed me and found Regine. But now, we must hurry." Should I tell them? No, I can't change the plot.

But Emmeryn and Phila… no. I can't tell them. I'm too late anyway; the archers have already spawned.

"Chrom, there are Risen everywhere!" It looked like Robin was going to fall to the stone floor and huddle in a ball.

"What! Damn, not now!"

"Dammit, Chrom! YOU JINXED US!" Chrom glared at me, with that _this isn't the time_ look, but we were interrupted by Phila flying past us. Not on her Pegasus. Just her body flying over us.

"Run! Get the Exalt and go!" Regine started attacking the archers with her fellow knights, but they were pincushioned one by one. Regine fell next to me, an arrow lodged in her torso. I helped her to her feet, and she fled to be by Phila's side.

"The exalt still stands on the block, Ylisseans. I have a dozen bows trained upon her. I beg for one of you, any, to give me a reason! Pah! Not so headstrong anymore, huh? Just give me the Fire Emblem, and it will all turn out peachy."

"Chrom, you can't trust him!"

"I know, I know. But… it's Emmeryn and… argh! The gods are cruel, damn them! My sister or my duty… I cannot chose which."

Robin slumped his shoulders and let out a deep sigh. "Chrom… do it. Give him the Emblem."

"Enough!" That soft, sweet voice, while hardly screaming, managed to get the entire attention of the entire courtyard. "King Gangrel? Is there no hope you will listen to reason?" Emmeryn took a long look over the courtyard, and nodded her head once to herself.

"I now know what I must do. Plegians! I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will win you nothing but pain, inside your borders and out! Free yourselves from this hatred, this cycle of pain and vengeance! Do what you must… as I will do. See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world!"

And just as seen in the cinematic, Emmeryn began to plummet off the block. She fell to the ground, and it wasn't pretty. Gangrel was a liar; death could never be graceful. I've never seen a body so badly broken apart. I've never seen limbs bend that way. I felt like puking, if I hadn't drawn my killing edge.

_See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world._

_Do what you must…_

"Trace! You promised that you wouldn't break formation! TRACE! YOU PROMISED! DON'T!" Robin tried to go after me, but was held back by Frederick. I was jumping at the first Risen archer when everything went black.

* * *

Time Unknown, Location Unknown

_I can't tell where I am. My head is throbbing like no tomorrow. I'm lying on a gray carpet, indoors somewhere. My head is spinning, can't focus on anything in particular. My chest feels like it's going to explode. Someone in green is… standing over me. Can't tell… who… so… tired… all of a sudden… I just want to… sleep…_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**As I said at the top, this took twice as long to release for two main reasons:**

**1. I had a pretty stressful week, lots of tests and projects.**

**2. I initially scrapped the first Chapter 12 design.**

**I just didn't like how Chapter 12 was going. It felt a bit rushed and a bit too conforming to the game's plot.**

**But, anyway, the cliffhanger to this chapter is the setup to easily the most important plot point of Sins of a Self Insert. Some might say what's coming will be cliche, but that's kind of the point.**

**GUESS WHAT GUYS? I have a tumblr now, check my profile for details. I'll be placing an update on my tumblr page about Chapter 12. Overall, expect me to put life updates (especially important ones), funny stuff, fandom crap, and the occasional review or rant on my page.**

**Also, I love how EVERYONE is talking about the Breaking Bad finale, but no one is talking about the Attack on Titan finale. Hmmph. Figures.**

**Don't let Chrom jinx you guys, and check out my tumblr. There isn't much on there, but there will be soon.  
Also, feel free to press the 'Violate my Privacy' button on my tumblr page (it will be on the right side or the bottom) and send me a question.**

**I get lonely sometimes, y'know?**

**p.s. That scene where Gangrel gets attacked from last chapter is important. Don't dismiss it as something I'll forget about in a few chapters and never mention again.**


	13. Chapter 13- Limbo

**Here is the next installment.**

**I don't really have anything else to say, so...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 13

Limbo

_So tired… I hardly want to move… But I can't fall asleep… My shirt is wet… My eyes are starting to focus now… I can see clearly now, but everything's tinted white… like someone left the shutter frame of a camera open too long… I'm in my room. White walls, brown furniture, very blah. There's a glass lying on the floor, water spilling out. This is my room from the real life. Where did that figure in green go? He disappeared the moment my vision focused…_

I lazily got up and went over to my desk. That one empty sheet of paper is still there. It still has nothing written on it, save my name and a date. Wait, there's a date written on it. _2-13_. There's no year on it, but that's enough that I need. My laptop should still be here. I checked the bottom drawer of my desk, and there it was. I opened it, logged on, and… there still is no year. But the month and day are still there. _2-14_. It's only been one night? I did fall asleep and… teleport… into the FE universe at night so I haven't even lost a day of real time. I shut my laptop and went away from my desk. Some people outside are screaming at each other. My windows are frosted and I can't see clearly out of them, but I can see the colors of the figures. I started to feel groggier and worse by the second, so I started to make my way to my bed. I froze and fell to the floor midway there. My vision turned fuzzy again, and the green figure is back and watching over me. My vision's starting to focus, and I can now see the figure's long, blonde hair. Vision is focusing and… it's Emmeryn. She's looking at me partly with disgust and partly with fear and excitement. She stooped over and picked me up. She gently laid me on my bed. Instead of a pillow, there was something hard, cold and metallic. It was Frederick's body armor. Instead of a comforter, Emmeryn laid a thick, red jacket over me. I could hear the start of rain plinking on the window, drowning out the argument outside. Emmeryn felt the side of my head as the disgusted, anxious look on her face dwindled and was replaced by a more stressed, caring one. When she saw that I was finally falling asleep, she quietly walked out of the room, carefully closing the creaky wooden door. It felt difficult to even move my head, let alone the rest of my body. And, despite being metal, Freddy's armor started to get quite comfortable…

…Someone is nudging me. Repeatedly. Forcefully. If he hit me any harder, I'd tip over in my sleep and fall into the crevice between my bed and the wall. It's Emmeryn again. For someone so soft-spoken and peaceful, she's really putting lots of force in these pushes. She's yelling something at me. She's only four feet away from my face, but her yelling sounds like it's coming from outside. It's muted and hard to tell what she's saying.

"Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Now. Wake up. It's time to wake up."

"But… but I don't want to wake up. Leave me alone." My voice was raspy and hushed. Emmeryn pushed me once again, and I fell off the floor. Onto my face. In a puddle of spilled water. Emmeryn flipped me over and continued pushing me.

"Wake up. Now isn't the time for sleeping. Wake up." Desperately, Emmeryn pulled something from underneath her cloak. All I could tell was that it was red. She slipped the smooth, spherical object into my hand, and then closed her eyes. After a deep breath in, she looked directly at me and raised her right foot. She kicked me in the mouth. I felt the skin break and start to bleed as things started to black out.

* * *

"Current" Time, Plegia

En route to the Plegia-Feroxi Border

"Har! I told ya guys I could wake him up." Three bodies are looking down at me. It's pouring buckets of rain out. Sully was snickering to herself. Robin looked deeply concerned for me. Frederick… well, he's Frederick. And apparently, I'm clutching my bleeding mouth and letting out a high-pitched whine.

"Sully, that wasn't necessary. He already was hurt, and now you kicked him in the mouth. He's bleeding!" Robin rubbed his head in discontent as Sully kept laughing. Robin knelt over me, grabbed my arm, and pulled me up. Of course, he failed to tell me directly that I took an arrow to the stomach, and I stumbled down into a puddle of mud. Healing magic made sure that I wasn't bleeding- from my gut, anyway- but the pain was still there. My mouth still felt like it was going to fall apart, too.

"Mmph… ow… Where are we?"

"We're en route to a caravan that is smuggling us out of Plegia and into Regna Ferox. For the past few hours, you've been knocked out. I was carrying you on horseback the whole time." Frederick forcefully pulled me out of the muck and set me on my feet.

"Really? My hero… ow." It hurt to open my mouth just to breathe, let alone talk.

"COME ON! The caravans should be just ahead!" It was Khan Basilio, at the head of the group, who was yelling out loud. Even though Freddy and I were at the way back of the group, we could hear the Khan clearly.

"We should pick up the pace. The Plegians won't be making our exodus easy." Robin stretched out his arm, an offer to support me. I never accept help like that when I'm injured, so I kept soldiering on. To be honest, I did feel shitty. My clothes were drenched in blood, mud, and sweat. Robin appears to have taken his killing edge back from me while I was knocked out. Did I mention it's raining? Rain is nice and atmospheric and all, but it's really annoying when you're actually outside.

"Chrom, let's go!" Robin and I managed to catch up with Basilio and Chrom in the front of the formation. However, Chrom took this as an excuse to stop and stand there stoically.

"Chrom, we need to go. We can mope later." I tugged on his silver shoulder plate and pointed to the trail up ahead, but it was no use. He was frozen in place.

"Chrom, we have Plegians coming straight for us. We need to go!" Robin drew his killing edge as over a dozen Plegian axemen began to surround the four of us.

"I… I'll catch up. Just go ahead." Chrom stood there, his head down.

Robin let out a deep sigh, then wiped over his eyes. "Fine. Get the Shepherds ready. Trace, stay with Chrom. Make sure he doesn't do anything… stupid."

"Aye-aye, but you took my sword."

"Fine, take it. I'll be right back." He tossed the killing edge at me, as the blade fell into the soft, mushy dirt two inches away from Chrom's foot. He didn't even flinch.

"Hold there, Ylisseans! I offer you mercy! Surrender to me now, and live!" One of the axemen, clearly better equipped than the others, walked out from the group and approached us.

"Surrender? Sorry, I'm not familiar with the word." Oh, Basilio, you will soon.

"Emmeryn would not have wished for this to come to bloodshed."

"Don't you dare-" Chrom reached down and pulled the killing edge out of the mud. He started running forward, but I pulled on his plot-cape and tugged him back.

"Not yet, Chrom." He glared at me as his grip on the edge tightened. After a quick second, he sighed and dropped the blade back into the mushy soil.

"Your rage is justified, Prince Chrom. But the meaning of your sister's final sacrifice was not lost on me. I suspect many Plegians who heard her final words would say the same. If you lay down your weapons, I vow to protect you as best I can."

"How can we trust you after what your barbarous king has done? I think we shall take our chance with weapons in hand!" It was Frederick, who managed to head to the front with us, that stopped the negotiation and began the attack.

"I suspected you would say as much. So be it, Prince Chrom. I shall endeavor to grant you a swift and dignified end." The Plegian commander fell back and went down to his post as the rest of his force got into position.

"The Shepherds are ready. Trace, you just stay here and keep watching over Chrom. I'll take some riders and go on the offensive." Robin arrived, mounted on his horse and leading a group of Shepherds with him. "And Trace, I want to have a talk when this is over."

Four axemen. Two lancers. Four steel axes, one steel lance, and one javelin. Chrom and I could easily dispatch the axe troops; they were dime-a-dozen and are no match for sword users. The lancers would be a different problem. Chrom could probably shrug off their attacks; I couldn't. No time for analyzing, the axemen are advancing.

No problem for me, Chrom's already let loose on them. He cut past one, raised Falchion upwards through the second, spun and sliced the third in two, and kicked the fourth down. Chrom managed to impale and finish the fourth Plegian before the two lancers could even get in range. A javelin is heading towards Chrom… and he sliced it midair.

HOW ARE YOU SO GOOD, CHROM? PLEASE TELL ME. The first lancer has moved in to attack, and… he's dead. Chrom cut his torso open, straight left to right. Without hesitating, Chrom rushed towards the javelin soldier. He didn't even use the Falchion, and simply slammed into the soldier, using his shoulder plate as a battering ram. Looking down at the soldier, Chrom simply raised Falchion and plunged it into the Plegian. Want to know what's worse? Chrom was repeatedly pulling Falchion out, and stabbing the soldier. Want to know the worst part? The soldier is still alive. Chrom's navy-blue outfit was soaked in blood, most of it from _just_ this one soldier. Chrom was deliberately keeping this soldier alive, just to vent out his anger.

"Chrom! Stop it!" I grabbed his flowing white cape, which was jerking erratically from the wind and rain, and tried to pull him back. I managed to get Chrom out of stabbing range of the soldier. In reaction, Chrom looked back at me, raised his left hand, and socked me.

In the face.

In my soft, weak, bloodied face. The bleeding just managed to stop, too.

In the end, I simply let Chrom vent himself out while I whined and clutched my mouth again. I heard a curt, quick snap, which signaled Chrom breaking the neck of the soldier.

"Hey, Chrom? ... Boss? We've got more soldiers, coming in through that ravine." Two more axemen, one lancer. It looks like he had a steel lance, not a javelin. "Chrom?" He was just standing there, over the dead soldier. Falchion's tip was lowered to the ground. Alright, Chrom, I'll go take care of the soldiers. You just stand there, mope, and grow a depression beard.

Cut to one axeman, stab the other in the shoulder. Step back to avoid his wildly inaccurate swing, pull the killing edge out. Another stab, this time I go straight through the stomach. He keeled over and fell into a small puddle. I still have his two friends to deal with, one of which is angry as hell. The surviving axeman, ignoring his cut, raised his steel axe and brought it down on my head. Parry with the killing edge- the blow knocks me down, and I think I just broke my wrist, but the weapon thankfully kept its shape. I grabbed the hilt of the killing edge with my left hand- being ambidextrous definitely has perks- and slice upwards. The Plegian stumbles back, feeling the cross-shaped wound running across his torso. One more to fight and HOLY FUCK!

I've been stabbed. In the back. I don't mean figuratively, the lancer literally took the opportunity of his friend's deaths to jab me.

"You son of a bi-" ARGH! He didn't even let me finish before skewering me again. His somewhat smug face disappeared when I turned around and successfully parried his third jab. He was just a small bit too far away for me to cut, so I had to painfully lunge at him. The killing edge tore through his upper torso, and caused him to drop the lance. He fell on his ass, straight into the muck. He lay there, watching as I slowly advanced towards him. He made no attempt to defend himself.

"Run."

The soldier had this bewildered look on his face. "Whuh… what?"

"Run. Your general is fine with those who don't want to fight."

The soldier looked at me, and then looked behind him, through the ravine. I didn't know why he was so scared. I didn't really try to make that sound threatening.

"Plus, if my boss finds you, he'll probably stab you. Like, twenty times." Upon hearing that, the soldier got up and ran off, leaving his lance where he dropped it. Of course, his running alerted four soldiers on the other side of the ravine. Two more axemen, another lancer, and one wyvern rider. One of the axemen, and the lancer, were both cut down from javelins coming in from their right- or my left. It was Robin's horse that ran past the last axeman, slicing the Plegian nearly in half while doing so. The wyvern rider turned over to see two things; his three dead fellow soldiers, and Cordelia's lance coming straight for him. Thankfully, it looked like the one soldier I spared managed to make it behind the lines before Robin's mounted force decimated the remaining Plegian forces. Robin saw Chrom and I on the other side of the ravine, and quickly crossed over.

"The general has been defeated, Chrom. We spared those who retreated. But, there is one problem." Chrom sat there speechless.

"Uh, I'll speak for our stoic leader. What's the problem?" To be honest, Chrom standing there stoically could be enough to make fangirls swoon. Or squee. But, to be honest, it isn't very good for when you actually need a _conversation_.

"The carriages aren't there."

"WHAT?" Does that mean Olivia is- no. She can't be.

"I've decided that it would be best to set up camp. Most of us are tattered, bloody, and wet." That's what she said, Robin. (If you like it that way. *shudders*)

"The ravines will hide us overnight. We should be well rested by tomorrow morning. I'm betting that the men will love the chance to rest."

I nudged Chrom's shoulder. "Y'hear that? We'd _love the chance to rest._ Maybe _clear our minds_?" When Chrom continued to sit there speechless, I let out a groan. Which still made my mouth hurt.

"Alright, you know what? You can deal with Mr. Stoic, I'm going to go set up camp. Ow." I rubbed my bleeding cheek and walked off. But first, I need to find someone for healing. It was Robin that stopped me.

"And Trace? I still want that talk."

* * *

"Current" Time, a few hours later

A distance away from the Plegia-Feroxi border

And by 'go set up camp', I honestly didn't expect to actually mean 'try making a tent for an hour, and then give up and have Cordelia do it for you'.

"There you go, that should be it." Cordelia finished by tightening the last rope holding the tent to the ground.

"Thanks. You can go now."

"Alright, come find me if you need anything."

"Sure." I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out a vulnerary that Libra gave me to help with the pain. Lissa was probably too busy moping; I honestly didn't want to disturb her.

"Well, anyway, you should get some rest, Cordelia. I'll be doing the same, after I get a drink."

* * *

Well, I _should not_ have had that last canteen-full of water. I'm sitting in my tent, contemplating whether it's worth it to go out and take a leak. It turned pitch black out, and it's still raining. I could also hear some scattered thunder. The constant thumping of the rainfall on my tent was quite soothing, but it only made my need to piss even worse. I _am _in a tent with no floor, so I guess I could just go-

"Trace? Are you in there?" Robin?

"Yeah. Kinda busy here, though."

OhgodIhavemypantsdownpleasedon'tcomeinRobinpleasep leaseplease

"I still need to have that talk with you."

Ohmygodhe'sopeningupmytentohgodNO

"WAIT! DON'T… DON'T COME IN!"

"Why not? I just need to- Trace? Why are your pants down? What are you doing in here?"

"…Stuff, Robin. Things." Good thing I still had my 'smallclothes' on. This could have turned into a bad yaoi fic. _I don't want to be in a bad yaoi fic_.

"Uh… can you leave the tent so I can pull my pants up?" The last time someone caught me with my pants down, it was an assassin trying to kill me. Robin left without another word.

"Okay, you can come back in now. You didn't… see anything, did you? I don't want to scar you."

"No. And I'm betting _you_ would be the one who would be scarred if I saw something." He's honestly right.

"Now, I'll start with the good news."

"Wait, there's _good news_? I thought you just came here to berate me."

"Not entirely. Your… distraction… gave us ample time to rescue Phila and her second in command, Regine. If you didn't rush those archers, we might have had to leave them behind."

"So you used me as a living target?"

"You could say that. But, of course, it is payback for the fact that you _broke formation_. You nearly got Sully killed; she was the one that volunteered to grab you when you got skewered."

"But I-"

"AND you almost made King Gangrel force the Risen archers to attack us! We had to run off before he could give the word. It's a wonder he didn't pursue us!"

"Bu-"

"AND, when Chrom saw you get shot with arrows, he almost gave up and threw the Fire Emblem away!"

"Oh. So I'm to blame for him being so stoic?"

"Pretty much. You need to stop breaking formation, and learn when to _not_ prematurely engage."

"Fiiine. But can I still keep the sword? Please?"

"No! You even promised to stay in formation in return for the sword, and look what you did! You endangered the entire group! When Chrom recovers, there's no telling what he'll-"

"You know what, Robin? Spare me the rest of the lecture. I'm going."

"But there's one more thing-" As I left the tent, I gave Robin the 'now's the time to shut up' look.

"Trace! This is important!" I flipped him off as I walked out of my tent.

* * *

Ah, the sweet relief of relieving yourself. It's completely pitch black out, the only light is coming from the campfire which is pretty far away, it's pouring buckets out, and I can't see two inches in front of me, but _damn_ do I feel good. Besides the crippling pain in my mouth and torso.

If I had felt any better, I might not have felt the dagger being plunged into my back. The pain almost felt paralyzing, as all I could do was fall face-first into the mucky mud. I tried to reach for the sword at my side- but it wasn't there. I must have forgotten in in the tent- Robin probably had it now.

"Just give it to me, and I'll let you live." My assailant's voice was muffled and raspy, and almost impossible to understand even though he was bending over my ear.

"Give… give what?" I really wished I still had those daggers with me.

"Don't be coy."

"I really don't know."

"Humph. Do you really not know yet? Surely you do." It sounded like he wanted to mutter that to himself, but he phrased it _way _too loudly. He sighed, and flipped me over so my back became soaked in mud. He reached into the left pocket of my jacket, found nothing, and switched to the right pocket. There, he pulled out a red sphere, about half the size of a baseball. It glowed brightly, and cackled with the sound of energy.

"Humph. It's a start." He slid the orb into his own packet pocket, but not before the glowing red light revealed the color of his own jacket; a dark, bloody red color. The last thing he saw before he knocked me out was a bewildered look on my face. The last thing I saw was the blur of motion, and the last thing I felt was the feeling of falling.

* * *

"Current" Time, Daybreak

A distance away from the Plegia-Feroxi border

"Hey, Chrom, have you seen Trace anywhere?"

Chrom sighed, leaning on his luggage case. The convoy smuggling the Shepherds just arrived, and everyone was busy packing for the long trip back.

"No. I haven't seen him since the fight ended yesterday."

"Darn. He ran off at night when I visited him, and he isn't there now."

"How much time do you think we can spare to look for him?"

"Little, if any, Chrom. The Plegians should be well on their way by now."

"If you really think that, Robin, then you should pack up. We need to leave." Chrom stood up and continued pushing his case towards the convoy.

"Just where did you go Trace? And why did you have… _this_?" Robin reached into his cloak and pulled out a small, golden ornament, not much different from a music box in shape, but larger. Robin pulled a small pin out of the front, and the box popped open. Inside was a small hole, perfectly spherical in shape.

"Where are you…"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**So, from now on, I will be releasing chapters on a two week basis instead of weekly. It just gives me more time to work on both writing and school.**

**Anyway, I was going to release this chapter on Saturday, but got some last-minute inspiration and spent more time. This should prolong the story, since before, there would only be one more chapter of combat, and then there would have been some fluffy peacetime chapters. I'm still going to do that later, but now is not the time.**

**Also, in nine days, the first chapter of Sins of a Self Insert will be removed from my doc manager. My first story is already 90 days old! *sniff* They grow up so fast! *sniff***

**So now, to celebrate, I'm going to go on a binge play of Sins of a Solar Empire.**

**But first, I need to think up last names for Lon'qu and Sumia. (not directly related to each other)**

**Allons-y!**


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